By James Slater, Eastside Boxing
First of all, as all those fans who saw last night's fight will surely agree, Ghana's Joshua Clottey deserves a huge amount of praise for the way he was able to tough out the full 12-rounds with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. The way the 32-year-old former IBF welterweight champ was able to take the vicious body shots Pac-Man was landing on him all night was quite remarkable - indeed, Clottey showed not so much an iron chin as an iron midsection!
Still, despite his toughness, Clottey never came close to winning last night, losing every single round on one of the official scorecards ( 120-108 being the way I had it for what it's worth).. Concentrating almost purely on defence against the lethal southpaw, Clottey managed to let only a few good shots go; his left jab, left uppercut to the chin and the occasional right hand to the face bringing cheers from the enthusiastic crowd. Other than that, it was Pacquiao's night all the way, and the question now is what next for the Filipino and also what does the future hold for the man from Accra?
Pacquiao has spoken of perhaps retiring from boxing so as to go into politics full time, while after the soreness he is no doubt currently feeling in his body wears off, Clottey may well opt to call it quits also. In an ideal world, neither guy will quit; Pacquiao because he is simply the best fighter of his era, perhaps even one of the best in boxing history, and Clottey because he has proven his worth and is deserving of another big fight if he wants it.
In an even more ideal world, we fans will get to see Pacquiao fight on and face the winner of May 1st's ultra-intriguing Shane Mosley-Floyd Mayweather Junior clash. Looking quite unbeatable right now and coming off a truly commanding win over one of the biggest, strongest and bravest welterweights in the sport, Pacquiao would have to be made (in my opinion) a favourite over either "Money" or "Sugar."
Seemingly getting even better at age 31 and as a 147-pounder - Manny not having struggled in any fight since he made the move up from 130-pounds - Pacquiao is too great to leave the sport now. But will the winner of Mosley-Mayweather want to face him? You can bet money on Mosley agreeing to the fight if he can take the O from the end of Mayweather's record and replace it with a 1, but if Floyd wins we may have to, as Bob Arum puts it, "go through that nonsense again."
Arum, as if you needed reminding, is referring to the random drug tests Mayweather and his team demanded Pacquiao take pre-fight. So, from a fan standpoint, it will be better if Mosley wins on May 1st. Maybe a Pacquiao-Mosley fight lacks some of the fascination a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight has attached to it, but Mosley against the #1 superstar of boxing is a huge and exciting match-up all by itself.
Basically, unless he does decide to retire at the very top, Pacquiao has only the winner of the May fight to look at as a serious option. And if this fight can be made in, say, September or October of this year and if Manny does as I feel he will and wins it, what a perfect way for him to exit the sport!
With the great Manny Pacquiao, it really is a case of enjoying him while you can.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Sunday 14 March 2010
Pacquiao Dominates Passive Clottey; Regains Title -- Wall Street Journal
Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas--Manny Pacquiao dominated a strangely passive Joshua Clottey from the opening bell Saturday to retain his WBO welterweight title.
With 50,994 fans--the biggest fight crowd in the U.S. in 17 years--cheering him on at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Mr. Pacquiao made sure the result was never in doubt. One ringside judge gave Mr. Pacquiao every round, while the two others gave him all but one. The Associated Press gave every round to the Filipino.
It wasn't as flashy as his knockout of Ricky Hatton or as savage as the beating he gave Oscar De La Hoya, but there was no doubt Mr. Pacquiao was in command the entire way against Mr. Clottey, who kept his gloves up high in front of his face, rarely risking a flurry. The Ghanaian's strategy got him to the final bell, but he was never competitive in the biggest fight of his career.
"He's a very tough opponent," Mr. Pacquiao said. "He was looking for a big shot."
Mr. Pacquiao was supposed to have been fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. instead of Mr. Clottey, but the megafight between two claimants on the title of world's best pound-for-pound fighter fell apart over a dispute over blood testing.
"I want that fight, the world wants that fight, but it's up to him," Mr. Pacquiao said.
The tone of the fight was set early, with Mr. Pacquiao advancing against his taller opponent and throwing punches with both hands from all angles. It was the same style that gave him spectacular wins in his past three fights and, though Mr. Clottey was clearly the bigger fighter, he rarely sought to use his reach advantage.
Mr. Clottey's corner was urging him late in the fight to take some risks, but even in the final round when he needed a knockout to win, the Ghanaian only sparingly dropped his guard.
"Everything's working now," trainer Freddie Roach told Mr. Pacquiao after the third round. "It's easy."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press
Source: online.wsj.com
ARLINGTON, Texas--Manny Pacquiao dominated a strangely passive Joshua Clottey from the opening bell Saturday to retain his WBO welterweight title.
With 50,994 fans--the biggest fight crowd in the U.S. in 17 years--cheering him on at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Mr. Pacquiao made sure the result was never in doubt. One ringside judge gave Mr. Pacquiao every round, while the two others gave him all but one. The Associated Press gave every round to the Filipino.
It wasn't as flashy as his knockout of Ricky Hatton or as savage as the beating he gave Oscar De La Hoya, but there was no doubt Mr. Pacquiao was in command the entire way against Mr. Clottey, who kept his gloves up high in front of his face, rarely risking a flurry. The Ghanaian's strategy got him to the final bell, but he was never competitive in the biggest fight of his career.
"He's a very tough opponent," Mr. Pacquiao said. "He was looking for a big shot."
Mr. Pacquiao was supposed to have been fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. instead of Mr. Clottey, but the megafight between two claimants on the title of world's best pound-for-pound fighter fell apart over a dispute over blood testing.
"I want that fight, the world wants that fight, but it's up to him," Mr. Pacquiao said.
The tone of the fight was set early, with Mr. Pacquiao advancing against his taller opponent and throwing punches with both hands from all angles. It was the same style that gave him spectacular wins in his past three fights and, though Mr. Clottey was clearly the bigger fighter, he rarely sought to use his reach advantage.
Mr. Clottey's corner was urging him late in the fight to take some risks, but even in the final round when he needed a knockout to win, the Ghanaian only sparingly dropped his guard.
"Everything's working now," trainer Freddie Roach told Mr. Pacquiao after the third round. "It's easy."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press
Source: online.wsj.com
Manny: I want a shot at Money -- The Sun
By GAVIN GLICKSMAN, The Sun
MANNY PACQUIAO called out Floyd Mayweather after retaining his WBO title against Joshua Clottey.
The welterweight king dominated Clottey on his way to a comfortable points victory in Dallas.
And Pacquiao wasted little time in making it clear he wants Mayweather next, in what could prove to be his final fight.
The Filipino said: "I want that fight, but it's up to Mayweather. I'm ready to fight any time."
Pac-Man, 31, was originally scheduled to meet Mayweather last night.
But the fight every boxing fan wants to see was shelved after he refused to agree to Money's demands for random blood testing.
Clottey stepped up to fill the void but his peek-a-boo defence was quickly exposed by Pacquiao's speed.
He managed to protect his record of never being stopped yet it was little surprise the judges scored it 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 in Pacquiao's favour.
Undefeated Mayweather, 33, collides with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May 1.
And Pacquiao could not resist having a dig at the man he would love to defeat later this year.
He said: "Maybe if Mosley wins, I'll fight him next instead.
"But whatever happens, Mayweather's style isn't that difficult to overcome."
Trainer Freddie Roach was disappointed to see Clottey go the distance against his fighter.
But he was delighted with Pacquiao's overall performance in front of a bumper 50,000 crowd at Cowboys Stadium.
Roach said: "Clottey fought a very defensive fight. I thought he would be more offensive.
"He was more in survival mode and when a guy is trying to survive, it's hard to knock him out.
"But I still give Manny an A-plus."
Source: thesun.co.uk
***
MANNY PACQUIAO called out Floyd Mayweather after retaining his WBO title against Joshua Clottey.
The welterweight king dominated Clottey on his way to a comfortable points victory in Dallas.
And Pacquiao wasted little time in making it clear he wants Mayweather next, in what could prove to be his final fight.
The Filipino said: "I want that fight, but it's up to Mayweather. I'm ready to fight any time."
Pac-Man, 31, was originally scheduled to meet Mayweather last night.
But the fight every boxing fan wants to see was shelved after he refused to agree to Money's demands for random blood testing.
Clottey stepped up to fill the void but his peek-a-boo defence was quickly exposed by Pacquiao's speed.
He managed to protect his record of never being stopped yet it was little surprise the judges scored it 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 in Pacquiao's favour.
Undefeated Mayweather, 33, collides with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May 1.
And Pacquiao could not resist having a dig at the man he would love to defeat later this year.
He said: "Maybe if Mosley wins, I'll fight him next instead.
"But whatever happens, Mayweather's style isn't that difficult to overcome."
Trainer Freddie Roach was disappointed to see Clottey go the distance against his fighter.
But he was delighted with Pacquiao's overall performance in front of a bumper 50,000 crowd at Cowboys Stadium.
Roach said: "Clottey fought a very defensive fight. I thought he would be more offensive.
"He was more in survival mode and when a guy is trying to survive, it's hard to knock him out.
"But I still give Manny an A-plus."
Source: thesun.co.uk
***
What now for Manny Pacquiao? -- Las Vegas Sun
By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun
Well — now what?
Where does Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO) go after cruising so easily to a unanimous decision win over welterweight contender Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KO) at Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Saturday?
The NFL team’s owner Jerry Jones has his answer — right back to the $1.2 billion stadium in Arlington, Texas, for a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I think, God willing, we could have a fight here that would beat the NBA All-Star game, which was over 108,000 people,” Jones said following Saturday’s fight. “I believe we can have a fight that would do that.”
Pacquiao looked every bit a fighter in need of a tougher challenge Saturday, dominating Clottey from one exchange to the next and winning every round on one judge’s scorecard. The other two judges each awarded Clottey one round.
The fight was so lacking in difficulty that it actually frustrated Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who criticized Clottey for the defensive strategy he used from the opening bell.
“If it was my fighter, I would be disappointed in him that a world title was on the line and he didn’t try to win,” Roach said. “I would rather die trying to win than just survive. It’s hard to knock a guy out when all he’s trying to do is survive, and that’s what he did from the start.”
Clottey threw just 399 total punches in the fight, landing 108 of them. Pacquiao, on the other hand, threw 1,231 total punches and landing 246.
Although Pacquiao was favored to win the fight, there were concerns he might have trouble with Clottey’s size advantage.
That proved not to be the case, however, as Clottey’s inactivity prevented him from ever posing a serious threat.
“Sure, we pitched a shutout against a middleweight,” Roach said. “But that middleweight should have used his (expletive) power. Let’s face it, I’m frustrated he didn’t show up to fight.”
Clottey, who appeared for the post-fight press conference, had no apologies for his performance and marveled at the speed Pacquiao showed during their fight.
To the Ghanaian fighter, it was the kind of speed that would give Mayweather trouble should the two ever meet.
“I lost a fight for the first time tonight,” Clottey said. “All of the last ones I didn’t think I lost, but I lost to Manny Pacquiao."
“I’m going to be frank — I’m a very, very strong fighter and I prepared hard for this fight. But Manny is too fast. I think he would give (Mayweather) lots of problems,” he said.
Mayweather was originally supposed to fight Pacquiao this weekend, but that fight fell through in January after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on Mayweather’s demands that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing.
Pacquiao went on to take Saturday’s fight against Clottey while Mayweather signed a deal to face Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1.
Both fighters took heat when the fight fell through. Some said Pacquiao should simply agree to blood tests if he had nothing to hide, while others accused Mayweather of using Pacquiao’s fear of needles to avoid facing him.
According to Roach’s theory, neither story is right.
Roach believes that Mayweather, who ended a near two-year absence from boxing last September by coming out of retirement to face Juan Manuel Marquez, needed extra time to prepare for a fight with Pacquiao.
“I don’t think he’s scared,” Roach said. “My thoughts on it are he needed more time. Getting one fight under your belt isn’t enough to get you sharp to fight a guy like Manny Pacquiao. The blood tests are all (expletive). He doesn’t care about that.”
Now that the Clottey fight is over, Roach has expressed a desire to sign a fight with Mayweather, even if the undefeated fighter loses to Mosley this spring.
If negotiations fall through again, Roach said, there are other options for Pacquiao, including a third meeting with Marquez and undefeated prospect Edwin Valero. But none of them hold much weight compared to a meeting with Mayweather.
According to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, that fight will remain doomed if Mayweather again insists on changing the drug-testing rules himself.
“Manny wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., but if that fight takes place, it will be because both fighters sign the contract and all the extraneous issues are not raised,” Arum said. “The issue of drug testing is not for one fighter to raise. There are honorable people who are charged with the policy of administering items such as drug testing.”
While Roach agrees in not giving up to Mayweather’s demands, he said that the parties involved will only get so many shots to work out their differences before the public gives up on the fight and moves on.
“Every time (Pacquiao and Mayweather) fight somebody else, it will fade and people will be less interested in that fight,” Roach said. “It has to happen now.”
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com. Also follow him on twitter: LVSunFighting.
Source: lasvegassun.com
Well — now what?
Where does Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO) go after cruising so easily to a unanimous decision win over welterweight contender Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KO) at Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Saturday?
The NFL team’s owner Jerry Jones has his answer — right back to the $1.2 billion stadium in Arlington, Texas, for a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I think, God willing, we could have a fight here that would beat the NBA All-Star game, which was over 108,000 people,” Jones said following Saturday’s fight. “I believe we can have a fight that would do that.”
Pacquiao looked every bit a fighter in need of a tougher challenge Saturday, dominating Clottey from one exchange to the next and winning every round on one judge’s scorecard. The other two judges each awarded Clottey one round.
The fight was so lacking in difficulty that it actually frustrated Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who criticized Clottey for the defensive strategy he used from the opening bell.
“If it was my fighter, I would be disappointed in him that a world title was on the line and he didn’t try to win,” Roach said. “I would rather die trying to win than just survive. It’s hard to knock a guy out when all he’s trying to do is survive, and that’s what he did from the start.”
Clottey threw just 399 total punches in the fight, landing 108 of them. Pacquiao, on the other hand, threw 1,231 total punches and landing 246.
Although Pacquiao was favored to win the fight, there were concerns he might have trouble with Clottey’s size advantage.
That proved not to be the case, however, as Clottey’s inactivity prevented him from ever posing a serious threat.
“Sure, we pitched a shutout against a middleweight,” Roach said. “But that middleweight should have used his (expletive) power. Let’s face it, I’m frustrated he didn’t show up to fight.”
Clottey, who appeared for the post-fight press conference, had no apologies for his performance and marveled at the speed Pacquiao showed during their fight.
To the Ghanaian fighter, it was the kind of speed that would give Mayweather trouble should the two ever meet.
“I lost a fight for the first time tonight,” Clottey said. “All of the last ones I didn’t think I lost, but I lost to Manny Pacquiao."
“I’m going to be frank — I’m a very, very strong fighter and I prepared hard for this fight. But Manny is too fast. I think he would give (Mayweather) lots of problems,” he said.
Mayweather was originally supposed to fight Pacquiao this weekend, but that fight fell through in January after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on Mayweather’s demands that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing.
Pacquiao went on to take Saturday’s fight against Clottey while Mayweather signed a deal to face Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1.
Both fighters took heat when the fight fell through. Some said Pacquiao should simply agree to blood tests if he had nothing to hide, while others accused Mayweather of using Pacquiao’s fear of needles to avoid facing him.
According to Roach’s theory, neither story is right.
Roach believes that Mayweather, who ended a near two-year absence from boxing last September by coming out of retirement to face Juan Manuel Marquez, needed extra time to prepare for a fight with Pacquiao.
“I don’t think he’s scared,” Roach said. “My thoughts on it are he needed more time. Getting one fight under your belt isn’t enough to get you sharp to fight a guy like Manny Pacquiao. The blood tests are all (expletive). He doesn’t care about that.”
Now that the Clottey fight is over, Roach has expressed a desire to sign a fight with Mayweather, even if the undefeated fighter loses to Mosley this spring.
If negotiations fall through again, Roach said, there are other options for Pacquiao, including a third meeting with Marquez and undefeated prospect Edwin Valero. But none of them hold much weight compared to a meeting with Mayweather.
According to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, that fight will remain doomed if Mayweather again insists on changing the drug-testing rules himself.
“Manny wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., but if that fight takes place, it will be because both fighters sign the contract and all the extraneous issues are not raised,” Arum said. “The issue of drug testing is not for one fighter to raise. There are honorable people who are charged with the policy of administering items such as drug testing.”
While Roach agrees in not giving up to Mayweather’s demands, he said that the parties involved will only get so many shots to work out their differences before the public gives up on the fight and moves on.
“Every time (Pacquiao and Mayweather) fight somebody else, it will fade and people will be less interested in that fight,” Roach said. “It has to happen now.”
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com. Also follow him on twitter: LVSunFighting.
Source: lasvegassun.com
Pacquiao-Clottey: round-by-round analysis -- Los Angeles Times
By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
reporting from arlington, texas
This wasn't the usual ring walk for Manny Pacquiao. With so much ground to cover inside this $1.2-billion, 100,000-person capacity palace known as Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao came to Texas with a chance to take out his frustrations over the road not taken, the result of a bitter negotiation with fellow superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. that squandered a $25-million guarantee. The target was Ghana's Joshua Clottey, a true welterweight with a chance to stun the boxing world. Clottey emerged from a locker room where African drums and instruments had been played. As a crowd of 50,994 roared for the Filipino, Pacquiao walked out to "Eye of the Tiger."
ROUND 1: Pacquiao, in red trunks contrasting with Clottey's satin red, ducks a left and goes right to the body. He bobs in his southpaw stance and unleashes a left that Clottey blocks. Clottey covering. He jabs, tries a right that misses. Pacquiao goes to body. Pacquiao jabs, sneaks in a right. Pacquiao more active.
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao's dedication to jabbing, to trigger an opening, is clearly on display, and he's banging the body, too.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 2: Pacquiao lands hard left to head, and big right to body. Insiders said that was his plan, to pound Clottey's gut. He aims for head, then dips to sides of Clottey. Clottey gets in a right to body and left to face. Clottey mockingly buckles his knees. Clottey left to face.
Pugmire's take: Lot of motion by Pacquiao, and little activity by Clottey. This is what was expected, but how could Clottey not want to try something new in the fight of his life?
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 3: Clottey jabs. Pacquiao scores with left, unleashes wild left. Clottey trying to counter. He throws right, Pacquiao counters with lefts, goes back to body. Clottey good left to head. Clean right by Clottey. Pacquiao jabs, pounds body, gets Clottey on ropes. Clottey gets in a scoring combo. Pacquiao hammering body, Clottey squeezes in good right.
Pugmire's take: When Clottey punches, he looks good, has the reach advantage. But he's covering too often.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Clottey; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Clottey.
ROUND 4: Pacquiao throws right, pushes Clottey off him. Pacquiao to body. Clottey loves to cover face. Pacquiao targeting body, like, "Cover this!" Then he double-punches Pacquiao on sides, laughing. Ref separates them. Pacquiao corners Clottey on ropes, bringing roars. Clottey back in middle of ring. Pacquiao beating up Clottey to body. Clottey too inactive, Pacquiao urges him on.
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao shows his humor with the double hit. Whatever it takes to get Clottey to open up…
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 5: Pacquiao using feet to leverage positions. He shrugs off a Clottey jab-right. Quick right by Clottey lands. Nice jab by Clottey. Pacquiao has expended a lot of prior energy, backing off a bit. Big lull in action. Clottey will have to increase this pace, unless he's just satisfied with decision. Pacquiao lefts back Clottey to ropes, and he stays on him.
Pugmire's take: Taking a break. Manny knows the rope-a-dope strategy, plus he trains relentlessly.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 6: Pacquiao jabs, backs off. Clottey blocks face. Clottey is working jab-right combo, not often enough. Pacquiao gives nice assault, Clottey placing both gloves to top of head, peering for opening. Pacquiao beats him back. Punch totals will be one-sided.
Pugmire's take: Manny is outpunching Clottey 3-to-1, showing why he was a 15-2 favorite in Vegas.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 7: Clottey tries to work Pacquiao against ropes to no avail. Pacquiao goes jab, jab, jab. Pacquiao punishes body again. Clottey has to uncover to deal with attack. Manny has lump under his right eye.
Pugmire's take: This fight could have, and should have, been far more entertaining.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 8: Pacquiao's punching advantage through seven rounds is 677-225. If Clottey went to, "I hope he gets fatigued," plan it's a questionable endeavor. Pacquiao jab and left. Low blow by Clottey brings timeout and boos from crowd. Manny big right to body. Another low blow by Clottey. .
Pugmire's take: There's no choice now for Clottey but to find one big punch.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 9: I called this pre-fight as the round Pacquiao would knock out Clottey, but colleague Bill Dwyre says, "I see no evidence this guy is going down." Pacquiao again staying true to plan, jabbing.
Pugmire's take: I was wrong.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 10: Pacquiao trying to penetrate lefts through Clottey's guard. Clottey slaps Pacquiao with right. Pacquiao remains busy. Nice right and left uppercut by Clottey. Pacquiao responds with rights. Pacquiao to belly. .
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao doing everything he can to score telling blow. Clottey will be able to say he made it through 12 with Pacquiao. Thought he had a grander dream.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 11: Pacquiao covers and gets close to Clottey, who tries to bat him away. Pacquiao such the better boxer, and that's what has won him this fight thus far. Clottey scores two left uppercuts. Nice combo, punctuated with left by Pac. Roaring, as Pacquiao pursues with a flurry. "Manny! Manny!" Left uppercut by Clottey snaps Pacquiao's head back. Manny back to work at head, has Clottey on ropes.
Pugmire's take: The cheering section admired Pacquiao's effort. He didn't let them down.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 12: Clottey head-butts Pacquiao at start of round. Clottey jab. Pacquiao right to body, left to head. Pacquiao uppercuts. Clottey content with this inactive effort. Nice right by Pacquiao at bell. Easy decision coming Pacquiao's way.
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao's done his work, now Floyd Mayweather Jr. has to do his against Shane Mosley to make the fight the boxing fans deserve from the sport.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Source: latimes.com
reporting from arlington, texas
This wasn't the usual ring walk for Manny Pacquiao. With so much ground to cover inside this $1.2-billion, 100,000-person capacity palace known as Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao came to Texas with a chance to take out his frustrations over the road not taken, the result of a bitter negotiation with fellow superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. that squandered a $25-million guarantee. The target was Ghana's Joshua Clottey, a true welterweight with a chance to stun the boxing world. Clottey emerged from a locker room where African drums and instruments had been played. As a crowd of 50,994 roared for the Filipino, Pacquiao walked out to "Eye of the Tiger."
ROUND 1: Pacquiao, in red trunks contrasting with Clottey's satin red, ducks a left and goes right to the body. He bobs in his southpaw stance and unleashes a left that Clottey blocks. Clottey covering. He jabs, tries a right that misses. Pacquiao goes to body. Pacquiao jabs, sneaks in a right. Pacquiao more active.
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao's dedication to jabbing, to trigger an opening, is clearly on display, and he's banging the body, too.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 2: Pacquiao lands hard left to head, and big right to body. Insiders said that was his plan, to pound Clottey's gut. He aims for head, then dips to sides of Clottey. Clottey gets in a right to body and left to face. Clottey mockingly buckles his knees. Clottey left to face.
Pugmire's take: Lot of motion by Pacquiao, and little activity by Clottey. This is what was expected, but how could Clottey not want to try something new in the fight of his life?
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 3: Clottey jabs. Pacquiao scores with left, unleashes wild left. Clottey trying to counter. He throws right, Pacquiao counters with lefts, goes back to body. Clottey good left to head. Clean right by Clottey. Pacquiao jabs, pounds body, gets Clottey on ropes. Clottey gets in a scoring combo. Pacquiao hammering body, Clottey squeezes in good right.
Pugmire's take: When Clottey punches, he looks good, has the reach advantage. But he's covering too often.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Clottey; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Clottey.
ROUND 4: Pacquiao throws right, pushes Clottey off him. Pacquiao to body. Clottey loves to cover face. Pacquiao targeting body, like, "Cover this!" Then he double-punches Pacquiao on sides, laughing. Ref separates them. Pacquiao corners Clottey on ropes, bringing roars. Clottey back in middle of ring. Pacquiao beating up Clottey to body. Clottey too inactive, Pacquiao urges him on.
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao shows his humor with the double hit. Whatever it takes to get Clottey to open up…
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 5: Pacquiao using feet to leverage positions. He shrugs off a Clottey jab-right. Quick right by Clottey lands. Nice jab by Clottey. Pacquiao has expended a lot of prior energy, backing off a bit. Big lull in action. Clottey will have to increase this pace, unless he's just satisfied with decision. Pacquiao lefts back Clottey to ropes, and he stays on him.
Pugmire's take: Taking a break. Manny knows the rope-a-dope strategy, plus he trains relentlessly.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 6: Pacquiao jabs, backs off. Clottey blocks face. Clottey is working jab-right combo, not often enough. Pacquiao gives nice assault, Clottey placing both gloves to top of head, peering for opening. Pacquiao beats him back. Punch totals will be one-sided.
Pugmire's take: Manny is outpunching Clottey 3-to-1, showing why he was a 15-2 favorite in Vegas.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 7: Clottey tries to work Pacquiao against ropes to no avail. Pacquiao goes jab, jab, jab. Pacquiao punishes body again. Clottey has to uncover to deal with attack. Manny has lump under his right eye.
Pugmire's take: This fight could have, and should have, been far more entertaining.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 8: Pacquiao's punching advantage through seven rounds is 677-225. If Clottey went to, "I hope he gets fatigued," plan it's a questionable endeavor. Pacquiao jab and left. Low blow by Clottey brings timeout and boos from crowd. Manny big right to body. Another low blow by Clottey. .
Pugmire's take: There's no choice now for Clottey but to find one big punch.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 9: I called this pre-fight as the round Pacquiao would knock out Clottey, but colleague Bill Dwyre says, "I see no evidence this guy is going down." Pacquiao again staying true to plan, jabbing.
Pugmire's take: I was wrong.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 10: Pacquiao trying to penetrate lefts through Clottey's guard. Clottey slaps Pacquiao with right. Pacquiao remains busy. Nice right and left uppercut by Clottey. Pacquiao responds with rights. Pacquiao to belly. .
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao doing everything he can to score telling blow. Clottey will be able to say he made it through 12 with Pacquiao. Thought he had a grander dream.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 11: Pacquiao covers and gets close to Clottey, who tries to bat him away. Pacquiao such the better boxer, and that's what has won him this fight thus far. Clottey scores two left uppercuts. Nice combo, punctuated with left by Pac. Roaring, as Pacquiao pursues with a flurry. "Manny! Manny!" Left uppercut by Clottey snaps Pacquiao's head back. Manny back to work at head, has Clottey on ropes.
Pugmire's take: The cheering section admired Pacquiao's effort. He didn't let them down.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
ROUND 12: Clottey head-butts Pacquiao at start of round. Clottey jab. Pacquiao right to body, left to head. Pacquiao uppercuts. Clottey content with this inactive effort. Nice right by Pacquiao at bell. Easy decision coming Pacquiao's way.
Pugmire's take: Pacquiao's done his work, now Floyd Mayweather Jr. has to do his against Shane Mosley to make the fight the boxing fans deserve from the sport.
The judges: Levi Martinez, 10-9 Pacquiao; Duane Ford, 10-9 Pacquiao; Nelson Vazquez, 10-9 Pacquiao.
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Source: latimes.com
'IT'S ABOUT NUMBERS': Cowboys' Jones major player -- Las Vegas Review-Journal
By STEVE CARP, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Jerry Jones' first venture into boxing appeared to be a success, as an announced crowd of 50,994 watched Manny Pacquiao defeat Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Jones, the owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, said to expect more fight cards at his $1.6 billion stadium that opened last year.
"There's no question (boxing) creates incremental interest that wouldn't be there otherwise," Jones said. "I want to do everything I can to create visibility for the stadium, and fights like this help do that."
Jones said he can compete with Nevada for the biggest fights because of his venue and the fact Texas doesn't have a state income tax. He had made a serious offer to host the proposed Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight but lost out to the MGM Grand. And though that fight didn't materialize, Jones said he thinks boxing is the right vehicle to drive traffic to Cowboys Stadium.
"It's about numbers," he said. "Where we have the upper hand is it's possible to have 100,000 for the great fights. The locale of Dallas also plays well, and not having an income tax (in Texas) is in our favor.
"We also have the Dallas Cowboys brand, which is big across the country and also in Mexico. We have a lot of great fight fans in Mexico who I believe would want to come to Cowboys Stadium to see boxing."
Jones said he thinks fights like the one he staged Saturday can be good for Las Vegas, even though the MGM Grand lost out on millions of dollars in potential revenue and Nevada missed out on several hundred thousand dollars in taxes with the fight going to Texas.
"Here's how it helps Las Vegas," Jones said. "By having a fight like this here (in Cowboys Stadium), it creates more visibility and interest in fighting. So when Las Vegas hosts a fight, that interest transfers over. These fights lift all boats."
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promoted Pacquiao-Clottey, said he plans to do more business with Jones.
"It's our intention to bring more fights to Cowboys Stadium," Arum said. "The fans are fantastic, and Jerry is a great promoter and a great partner.
"Look, I love Las Vegas. I live in Las Vegas. But you can't be a major sport if all your big events are held in one place. I don't think the Super Bowl would be as big if it were held in the same city every year."
■ BUSY TIMES -- Too bad for the Legislature the recent tax hike it imposed on tickets from 4 percent to 6 percent isn't retroactive to March 1. The next few weeks are going to be busy, with Don King returning to Treasure Island on March 26 to promote the IBF cruiserweight title fight between Steve Cunningham and Matt Godfrey and the IBF junior middleweight title fight between Cory Spinks and Cornelius Bundrage.
Golden Boy will promote a card at the Hard Rock Hotel on March 27 with two title fights: Marcos Maidana vs. Victor Cayo for Maidana's interim WBA super lightweight title, and Ali Funeka vs. Joan Guzman for the vacant IBF lightweight championship.
April also is shaping up to be busy. Golden Boy will host a card featuring junior middleweight Erislandy Lara at the Hard Rock on April 2, the night before the light heavyweight showdown between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. at Mandalay Bay.
Top Rank is planning an April 10 card at the Hard Rock, and the Evander Holyfield-Frans Botha heavyweight fight is at the Thomas & Mack Center on the same night.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
Source: lvrj.com
Jerry Jones' first venture into boxing appeared to be a success, as an announced crowd of 50,994 watched Manny Pacquiao defeat Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Jones, the owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, said to expect more fight cards at his $1.6 billion stadium that opened last year.
"There's no question (boxing) creates incremental interest that wouldn't be there otherwise," Jones said. "I want to do everything I can to create visibility for the stadium, and fights like this help do that."
Jones said he can compete with Nevada for the biggest fights because of his venue and the fact Texas doesn't have a state income tax. He had made a serious offer to host the proposed Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight but lost out to the MGM Grand. And though that fight didn't materialize, Jones said he thinks boxing is the right vehicle to drive traffic to Cowboys Stadium.
"It's about numbers," he said. "Where we have the upper hand is it's possible to have 100,000 for the great fights. The locale of Dallas also plays well, and not having an income tax (in Texas) is in our favor.
"We also have the Dallas Cowboys brand, which is big across the country and also in Mexico. We have a lot of great fight fans in Mexico who I believe would want to come to Cowboys Stadium to see boxing."
Jones said he thinks fights like the one he staged Saturday can be good for Las Vegas, even though the MGM Grand lost out on millions of dollars in potential revenue and Nevada missed out on several hundred thousand dollars in taxes with the fight going to Texas.
"Here's how it helps Las Vegas," Jones said. "By having a fight like this here (in Cowboys Stadium), it creates more visibility and interest in fighting. So when Las Vegas hosts a fight, that interest transfers over. These fights lift all boats."
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promoted Pacquiao-Clottey, said he plans to do more business with Jones.
"It's our intention to bring more fights to Cowboys Stadium," Arum said. "The fans are fantastic, and Jerry is a great promoter and a great partner.
"Look, I love Las Vegas. I live in Las Vegas. But you can't be a major sport if all your big events are held in one place. I don't think the Super Bowl would be as big if it were held in the same city every year."
■ BUSY TIMES -- Too bad for the Legislature the recent tax hike it imposed on tickets from 4 percent to 6 percent isn't retroactive to March 1. The next few weeks are going to be busy, with Don King returning to Treasure Island on March 26 to promote the IBF cruiserweight title fight between Steve Cunningham and Matt Godfrey and the IBF junior middleweight title fight between Cory Spinks and Cornelius Bundrage.
Golden Boy will promote a card at the Hard Rock Hotel on March 27 with two title fights: Marcos Maidana vs. Victor Cayo for Maidana's interim WBA super lightweight title, and Ali Funeka vs. Joan Guzman for the vacant IBF lightweight championship.
April also is shaping up to be busy. Golden Boy will host a card featuring junior middleweight Erislandy Lara at the Hard Rock on April 2, the night before the light heavyweight showdown between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. at Mandalay Bay.
Top Rank is planning an April 10 card at the Hard Rock, and the Evander Holyfield-Frans Botha heavyweight fight is at the Thomas & Mack Center on the same night.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
Source: lvrj.com
No sense in ducking Pacquiao-Mayweather -- Yahoo! Sports
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
ARLINGTON, Texas – The three ringside judges handed 34 of a possible 36 rounds Saturday to Manny Pacquiao, a unanimous, near shutout defense of his welterweight title over Joshua Clottey. The lopsided result didn’t seem to faze Clottey, though. Post-fight he stood carefree in the ring, smiling for pictures and waving to ringside fans.
Clottey didn’t come to fight. He came to cash his check and go home, spending 12 rounds covering up as Pacquiao wailed on him.
Boxing put on a heck of a show Saturday, with almost 51,000 fans making Cowboys Stadium an electric environment.
It just didn’t stage much of a fight.
“There was no way Clottey was going to beat this guy, even if he took off his gloves and fought him bare-fisted,” Bob Arum, the fight’s promoter, acknowledged.
So when are we going to get a real Pacquiao challenge? When are we going to see someone who can beat him?
Namely, when is the Floyd Mayweather fight finally going to happen?
“I want that fight but it’s up to him,” Pacquiao said. “I’m ready to fight anytime. Floyd’s style isn’t difficult.”
We’ve heard all of this before, of course. March 13 was supposed to be the night Pacquiao and Mayweather met in their long-awaited clash. The two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world were ready to stage what was expected to be the richest fight of all time.
“It’s the fight the world wants to see,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer.
Instead the world got to see a fight so one-sided it was essentially a Pacquiao sparring session. If you dropped $50 on this one, you were probably screaming at the bigger, stronger Clottey to, you know, throw a punch.
“Manny fought a good fight,” Roach said, as frustrated as anyone. “He pitched a shutout against a middleweight. But that middleweight should’ve used his [expletive] power.”
It’s long past time for boxing to get out of its own way and give its customers what they deserve – the generational matchup of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.
The fight fell apart in the final days of negotiations when the Mayweather camp demanded Olympic-style drug testing rather than more lax boxing commission standards. They point to suspicions that Pacquiao is taking performance-enhancing drugs, charges that have never been backed with any proof.
Pacquiao prefers the current testing standards.
That’s the stumbling block and the only stumbling block.
It can, and should, be cleared, if only each side would realize they carry some measure of fault here. Of course, good luck with that. The Pacquiao camp sounded even more entrenched on the merits of Olympic drug testing.
“You don’t negotiate,” Arum said, bringing up World War II history. “Neville Chamberlain negotiated with Hitler in Munich and look what happened.”
You mean the Czech Republic is going to fall if Manny Pacquiao has to have blood drawn 48 hours before a fight?
Look, Mayweather shouldn’t get to set all the rules, but neither should Pacquiao. Asking for stronger testing against PEDs is hardly an unfair request. Of course, the way Mayweather went about demanding it lacked tact. Neither side is fully in the right or the wrong.
There’s a lot of middle ground waiting to be crossed here.
Arum should’ve been vowing to do everything he could to make the Mayweather fight happen. He had just sold the public on a fight that wasn’t remotely competitive. And while that falls mostly on Clottey’s shoulders, the guy who shelled out his money doesn’t care.
The truth was Clottey wasn’t in Pacquiao’s league. “If he played offense he would’ve been knocked out,” Arum acknowledged. If it weren’t for Pacquiao’s relentless effort, even when he was way up on the scorecards and had nothing to gain, this would’ve been a complete disaster.
Mayweather is set to fight Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas, and if he gets through that, there is no question he’s the only one out there the public believes can challenge Pacman.
“There are other fights, [but] is the world really interested in them?” Roach said.
Roach believes that if Mayweather defeats Mosley, the fight will get made, probably for next November. He believes Mayweather invented the drug controversy so he had longer to shake the rust off his nearly two-year retirement.
“He needed more time,” Roach said. “One fight back and you’re returning against [Pacquiao]? He found out Manny doesn’t like blood drawn and [made it an issue].
“If he beats a guy like Shane, then he’s back.”
Arum said Pacquiao will sign the standard fight contract and leave the decision on how to test for PEDs up to whatever state officials are in charge.
“Let the commission set whatever kind of drug testing. If it has to be amplified, then that’s up to them. The only way a fight can be is if Mayweather wants to fight and signs a contract like [everyone] else signs a contract.”
Time will tell if Mayweather is willing to bend. If he is, then so should Arum. Mayweather may be playing head games with Pacquiao, but it’s inconsequential in the grand scheme of the sport.
Boxing is standing in front of a rare opportunity to seize the popularity of two magical talents. These are the kinds of fighters that can fill football stadiums and set pay-per-view records.
Handled properly, there’s a golden run waiting – a super bout, a rematch, a trilogy. Who knows? Left to petty politics and overvalued egos, you get Saturday in Texas – a sport amped up for a big fight that turned out to feature only one fighter.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
***
ARLINGTON, Texas – The three ringside judges handed 34 of a possible 36 rounds Saturday to Manny Pacquiao, a unanimous, near shutout defense of his welterweight title over Joshua Clottey. The lopsided result didn’t seem to faze Clottey, though. Post-fight he stood carefree in the ring, smiling for pictures and waving to ringside fans.
Clottey didn’t come to fight. He came to cash his check and go home, spending 12 rounds covering up as Pacquiao wailed on him.
Boxing put on a heck of a show Saturday, with almost 51,000 fans making Cowboys Stadium an electric environment.
It just didn’t stage much of a fight.
“There was no way Clottey was going to beat this guy, even if he took off his gloves and fought him bare-fisted,” Bob Arum, the fight’s promoter, acknowledged.
So when are we going to get a real Pacquiao challenge? When are we going to see someone who can beat him?
Namely, when is the Floyd Mayweather fight finally going to happen?
“I want that fight but it’s up to him,” Pacquiao said. “I’m ready to fight anytime. Floyd’s style isn’t difficult.”
We’ve heard all of this before, of course. March 13 was supposed to be the night Pacquiao and Mayweather met in their long-awaited clash. The two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world were ready to stage what was expected to be the richest fight of all time.
“It’s the fight the world wants to see,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer.
Instead the world got to see a fight so one-sided it was essentially a Pacquiao sparring session. If you dropped $50 on this one, you were probably screaming at the bigger, stronger Clottey to, you know, throw a punch.
“Manny fought a good fight,” Roach said, as frustrated as anyone. “He pitched a shutout against a middleweight. But that middleweight should’ve used his [expletive] power.”
It’s long past time for boxing to get out of its own way and give its customers what they deserve – the generational matchup of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.
The fight fell apart in the final days of negotiations when the Mayweather camp demanded Olympic-style drug testing rather than more lax boxing commission standards. They point to suspicions that Pacquiao is taking performance-enhancing drugs, charges that have never been backed with any proof.
Pacquiao prefers the current testing standards.
That’s the stumbling block and the only stumbling block.
It can, and should, be cleared, if only each side would realize they carry some measure of fault here. Of course, good luck with that. The Pacquiao camp sounded even more entrenched on the merits of Olympic drug testing.
“You don’t negotiate,” Arum said, bringing up World War II history. “Neville Chamberlain negotiated with Hitler in Munich and look what happened.”
You mean the Czech Republic is going to fall if Manny Pacquiao has to have blood drawn 48 hours before a fight?
Look, Mayweather shouldn’t get to set all the rules, but neither should Pacquiao. Asking for stronger testing against PEDs is hardly an unfair request. Of course, the way Mayweather went about demanding it lacked tact. Neither side is fully in the right or the wrong.
There’s a lot of middle ground waiting to be crossed here.
Arum should’ve been vowing to do everything he could to make the Mayweather fight happen. He had just sold the public on a fight that wasn’t remotely competitive. And while that falls mostly on Clottey’s shoulders, the guy who shelled out his money doesn’t care.
The truth was Clottey wasn’t in Pacquiao’s league. “If he played offense he would’ve been knocked out,” Arum acknowledged. If it weren’t for Pacquiao’s relentless effort, even when he was way up on the scorecards and had nothing to gain, this would’ve been a complete disaster.
Mayweather is set to fight Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas, and if he gets through that, there is no question he’s the only one out there the public believes can challenge Pacman.
“There are other fights, [but] is the world really interested in them?” Roach said.
Roach believes that if Mayweather defeats Mosley, the fight will get made, probably for next November. He believes Mayweather invented the drug controversy so he had longer to shake the rust off his nearly two-year retirement.
“He needed more time,” Roach said. “One fight back and you’re returning against [Pacquiao]? He found out Manny doesn’t like blood drawn and [made it an issue].
“If he beats a guy like Shane, then he’s back.”
Arum said Pacquiao will sign the standard fight contract and leave the decision on how to test for PEDs up to whatever state officials are in charge.
“Let the commission set whatever kind of drug testing. If it has to be amplified, then that’s up to them. The only way a fight can be is if Mayweather wants to fight and signs a contract like [everyone] else signs a contract.”
Time will tell if Mayweather is willing to bend. If he is, then so should Arum. Mayweather may be playing head games with Pacquiao, but it’s inconsequential in the grand scheme of the sport.
Boxing is standing in front of a rare opportunity to seize the popularity of two magical talents. These are the kinds of fighters that can fill football stadiums and set pay-per-view records.
Handled properly, there’s a golden run waiting – a super bout, a rematch, a trilogy. Who knows? Left to petty politics and overvalued egos, you get Saturday in Texas – a sport amped up for a big fight that turned out to feature only one fighter.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
***
Pacquiao beats Clottey, says he will fight Floyd "any time" -- ESPN
ESPN.co.uk
Manny Pacquiao overwhelmed Joshua Clottey to defend the WBO welterweight title, before declaring that he would fight Floyd Mayweather Jnr "any time".
The Filipino defeated the Ghanaian via a unanimous points decision after unleashing a glut of rapid-fire punches to which Clottey had no answer. Pacquiao's speed of hand saw him throw six times as many jabs as his opponent, rendering Clottey unable to move out of a defensive posture for much of the contest.
Post-fight, Pacquiao again hinted at the tantalising prospect of a bout against Mayweather Jnr. The two were locked in negotiations earlier in the year for a fight this month, but a contest could not be agreed after a dispute about blood testing. Now it seems that the Pacquiao camp may be willing to compromise, although Mayweather Jnr must first defeat Shane Mosley on May 1.
"It's up to him. For me, it's no problem to fight him. I will fight him any time. He should win against Mosley," Pacquiao said. "If not, Mosley and I will fight. [Mayweather's] style is not a difficult style. He needs to handle his business in his next fight."
Addressing Clottey, who has still never been stopped in the ring, the 31-year-old was gracious in victory. "He's a tough fighter, a good fighter. This was a tough fight," he said - although one judge apparently did not agree, awarding Pacquiao every one of the 12 rounds.
Source: espn.co.uk
***
Manny Pacquiao overwhelmed Joshua Clottey to defend the WBO welterweight title, before declaring that he would fight Floyd Mayweather Jnr "any time".
The Filipino defeated the Ghanaian via a unanimous points decision after unleashing a glut of rapid-fire punches to which Clottey had no answer. Pacquiao's speed of hand saw him throw six times as many jabs as his opponent, rendering Clottey unable to move out of a defensive posture for much of the contest.
Post-fight, Pacquiao again hinted at the tantalising prospect of a bout against Mayweather Jnr. The two were locked in negotiations earlier in the year for a fight this month, but a contest could not be agreed after a dispute about blood testing. Now it seems that the Pacquiao camp may be willing to compromise, although Mayweather Jnr must first defeat Shane Mosley on May 1.
"It's up to him. For me, it's no problem to fight him. I will fight him any time. He should win against Mosley," Pacquiao said. "If not, Mosley and I will fight. [Mayweather's] style is not a difficult style. He needs to handle his business in his next fight."
Addressing Clottey, who has still never been stopped in the ring, the 31-year-old was gracious in victory. "He's a tough fighter, a good fighter. This was a tough fight," he said - although one judge apparently did not agree, awarding Pacquiao every one of the 12 rounds.
Source: espn.co.uk
***
Pacquiao pounds Clottey, calls out Mayweather -- Yahoo! Sports
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
ARLINGTON, Texas – Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sees Manny Pacquiao as boxing’s version of Michael Irvin, the team’s Hall of Fame wide receiver, or perhaps Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
Pacquiao certainly is the boxing equal of those legendary players, as he conclusively proved before a crowd of 50,994 on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in a one-sided beatdown of a thoroughly outclassed Joshua Clottey.
Jones couldn’t rave enough about the Filipino superstar, who won every round on judge Duane Ford’s scorecard and won all but the third in the view of judges Nelson Vasquez and Levi Martinez. Yahoo! Sports also scored it a shutout, 120-108, for Pacquiao.
It was another magnificent performance in a string of them for Pacquiao, who fired an astronomical 1,231 punches at Clottey. Clottey kept his hands high in front of his face and rarely took a chance, fighting cautiously to avoid a knockout.
Pacquiao attacked Clottey’s body and dug hard hooks into his rib cage, occasionally making Clottey wince in pain.
“Part of the game plan was to go hard to the body and bring those hands down,” trainer Freddie Roach said.
Clottey wasn’t much of a challenge to Pacquiao, who was better in every phase of the game. Looming large over Pacquiao’s future, however, is the specter of unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
And if Pacquiao is Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith, then Mayweather is, say, Jerry Rice and Walter Payton.
A Pacquiao-Mayweather bout would be a legitimate fight for the ages, a rare match that would be as even and compelling as any made in more than a quarter of a century.
Mayweather, who fights Shane Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, could have and should have been Pacquiao’s opponent on Saturday instead of the stunningly passive Clottey. Because of an asinine dispute over a drug-testing regimen, however, what would have been the most lucrative fight in boxing history fizzled and failed to be made. Mayweather demanded random, Olympic-style blood and urine testing, which Mosley, an admitted steroids user, agreed to do. Pacquiao, though, declined to do it unless ordered by a state athletic commission and the dream fight fell apart.
If Mayweather holds up his end of the bargain, though, and wins against Mosley, neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao may have any other option but to fight each other. And that bout would pit a defensive genius with uncanny instincts and blazing-fast hands against an offensive savant who adds nuance to his game each time out.
It would have been ludicrous to compare Mayweather and Pacquiao circa 2005 because Mayweather would have won hands down.
Five years later, however, Pacquiao has more than closed the gap. He is at the very least Mayweather’s equal at this stage, and he’s as good defensively now as he is offensively. He has a complete arsenal of punches and has proven in wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Clottey that he’s at no disadvantage when facing naturally bigger and, supposedly, stronger men.
Promoter Bob Arum signed Mayweather off the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and tried to develop him into the next Sugar Ray Leonard. Mayweather became every bit the fighter that Arum thought he would be, but the relationship between the two became incredibly bitter and the two now despise each other.
Don’t underestimate the significance that the hard feelings between the two will have on getting a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight being made. Arum, who called his willingness to negotiate the drug-testing terms in December a mistake, suggested that Pacquiao would be able to solve Mayweather’s defense.
“Manny will break down any defense because he throws a million punches,” Arum said. “He threw 1,200 tonight. If Mayweather doesn’t break out of the [defensive] shell, Manny would just pile up the points.
“Manny’s a buzzsaw. And when you’re in with a buzzsaw, it’s very, very difficult to do anything. Manny could always prevent Clottey from throwing his own. And he throws from so many different angles and with both hands, these unbelievable combinations, that you’re just defending yourself from getting knocked out.”
Mayweather is a far different, and far better, defensive fighter than Clottey. Clottey used the tortoise-shell defense on Saturday, where he held his arms in front of his chest and shoulders with his gloves protecting his face.
However, he was always straight in front of Pacquiao, who simply whipped hard hooks into his midsection, at one point making Clottey wince in agony and stumble back into the corner.
It won’t be so easy to get at Mayweather’s body, and not simply because Mayweather has a jab that he uses expertly to keep opponents at bay.
Mayweather is an expert at angles and blocks a lot of punches by using the shoulder roll, or using his shoulder to guard the vulnerable areas of his body.
“If we get that fight, I have no doubt in my mind that Manny would break through that defense by just pounding on his shoulder until it breaks,” Roach said.
Mayweather’s weakness has been against pressure fighters. The closest fight of his career was his first against Jose Luis Castillo in 2002. Castillo, who announced his retirement Saturday after a loss to Alfonso S. Gomez on the undercard, got in Mayweather’s face by pressuring him and forcing him back.
Pacquiao is an efficient pressure fighter and has the kind of sting on his punches that would bother Mayweather, should he land them.
“Manny Pacquiao is fast,” Clottey said. “He’s extremely fast. That’s the best thing about him, his speed.”
Mayweather has said he wants the fight and on Saturday, Pacquiao reiterated his desire to face Mayweather.
For a long time, as the public has begun to ask for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Mayweather’s team has played a game of semantics and insisted that Pacquiao hadn’t called out Mayweather.
Of course it’s ridiculous and it’s taking advantage of someone who comes not only from a different culture but who has English as a second language.
Pacquiao, though, made it clear on Saturday that he wants to stand across from Mayweather the next time out.
“I want that fight, but it’s up to him,” Pacquiao said. “I’m ready to fight any time. Maybe if Mosley wins, I’ll fight him. Floyd’s style isn’t that difficult, though.”
There’s a long way to go before a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout could be realistically discussed. Mayweather, obviously, has to beat Mosley for talks to even begin.
Should it happen, it would not only become the richest fight in history, it would be one of the most intriguing, most closely matched bouts ever.
It’s an incredibly difficult fight to call and the difference between the men is slim. It’s hard to compare great stars like Smith and Payton, or Rice and Irvin, because they are all superb.
On Saturday, though, Pacquiao made a believer.
“Manny Pacquiao,” Clottey said after the fight, “is without a doubt the very best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”
Source: sports.yahoo.com
***
ARLINGTON, Texas – Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sees Manny Pacquiao as boxing’s version of Michael Irvin, the team’s Hall of Fame wide receiver, or perhaps Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
Pacquiao certainly is the boxing equal of those legendary players, as he conclusively proved before a crowd of 50,994 on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in a one-sided beatdown of a thoroughly outclassed Joshua Clottey.
Jones couldn’t rave enough about the Filipino superstar, who won every round on judge Duane Ford’s scorecard and won all but the third in the view of judges Nelson Vasquez and Levi Martinez. Yahoo! Sports also scored it a shutout, 120-108, for Pacquiao.
It was another magnificent performance in a string of them for Pacquiao, who fired an astronomical 1,231 punches at Clottey. Clottey kept his hands high in front of his face and rarely took a chance, fighting cautiously to avoid a knockout.
Pacquiao attacked Clottey’s body and dug hard hooks into his rib cage, occasionally making Clottey wince in pain.
“Part of the game plan was to go hard to the body and bring those hands down,” trainer Freddie Roach said.
Clottey wasn’t much of a challenge to Pacquiao, who was better in every phase of the game. Looming large over Pacquiao’s future, however, is the specter of unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
And if Pacquiao is Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith, then Mayweather is, say, Jerry Rice and Walter Payton.
A Pacquiao-Mayweather bout would be a legitimate fight for the ages, a rare match that would be as even and compelling as any made in more than a quarter of a century.
Mayweather, who fights Shane Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, could have and should have been Pacquiao’s opponent on Saturday instead of the stunningly passive Clottey. Because of an asinine dispute over a drug-testing regimen, however, what would have been the most lucrative fight in boxing history fizzled and failed to be made. Mayweather demanded random, Olympic-style blood and urine testing, which Mosley, an admitted steroids user, agreed to do. Pacquiao, though, declined to do it unless ordered by a state athletic commission and the dream fight fell apart.
If Mayweather holds up his end of the bargain, though, and wins against Mosley, neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao may have any other option but to fight each other. And that bout would pit a defensive genius with uncanny instincts and blazing-fast hands against an offensive savant who adds nuance to his game each time out.
It would have been ludicrous to compare Mayweather and Pacquiao circa 2005 because Mayweather would have won hands down.
Five years later, however, Pacquiao has more than closed the gap. He is at the very least Mayweather’s equal at this stage, and he’s as good defensively now as he is offensively. He has a complete arsenal of punches and has proven in wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Clottey that he’s at no disadvantage when facing naturally bigger and, supposedly, stronger men.
Promoter Bob Arum signed Mayweather off the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and tried to develop him into the next Sugar Ray Leonard. Mayweather became every bit the fighter that Arum thought he would be, but the relationship between the two became incredibly bitter and the two now despise each other.
Don’t underestimate the significance that the hard feelings between the two will have on getting a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight being made. Arum, who called his willingness to negotiate the drug-testing terms in December a mistake, suggested that Pacquiao would be able to solve Mayweather’s defense.
“Manny will break down any defense because he throws a million punches,” Arum said. “He threw 1,200 tonight. If Mayweather doesn’t break out of the [defensive] shell, Manny would just pile up the points.
“Manny’s a buzzsaw. And when you’re in with a buzzsaw, it’s very, very difficult to do anything. Manny could always prevent Clottey from throwing his own. And he throws from so many different angles and with both hands, these unbelievable combinations, that you’re just defending yourself from getting knocked out.”
Mayweather is a far different, and far better, defensive fighter than Clottey. Clottey used the tortoise-shell defense on Saturday, where he held his arms in front of his chest and shoulders with his gloves protecting his face.
However, he was always straight in front of Pacquiao, who simply whipped hard hooks into his midsection, at one point making Clottey wince in agony and stumble back into the corner.
It won’t be so easy to get at Mayweather’s body, and not simply because Mayweather has a jab that he uses expertly to keep opponents at bay.
Mayweather is an expert at angles and blocks a lot of punches by using the shoulder roll, or using his shoulder to guard the vulnerable areas of his body.
“If we get that fight, I have no doubt in my mind that Manny would break through that defense by just pounding on his shoulder until it breaks,” Roach said.
Mayweather’s weakness has been against pressure fighters. The closest fight of his career was his first against Jose Luis Castillo in 2002. Castillo, who announced his retirement Saturday after a loss to Alfonso S. Gomez on the undercard, got in Mayweather’s face by pressuring him and forcing him back.
Pacquiao is an efficient pressure fighter and has the kind of sting on his punches that would bother Mayweather, should he land them.
“Manny Pacquiao is fast,” Clottey said. “He’s extremely fast. That’s the best thing about him, his speed.”
Mayweather has said he wants the fight and on Saturday, Pacquiao reiterated his desire to face Mayweather.
For a long time, as the public has begun to ask for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Mayweather’s team has played a game of semantics and insisted that Pacquiao hadn’t called out Mayweather.
Of course it’s ridiculous and it’s taking advantage of someone who comes not only from a different culture but who has English as a second language.
Pacquiao, though, made it clear on Saturday that he wants to stand across from Mayweather the next time out.
“I want that fight, but it’s up to him,” Pacquiao said. “I’m ready to fight any time. Maybe if Mosley wins, I’ll fight him. Floyd’s style isn’t that difficult, though.”
There’s a long way to go before a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout could be realistically discussed. Mayweather, obviously, has to beat Mosley for talks to even begin.
Should it happen, it would not only become the richest fight in history, it would be one of the most intriguing, most closely matched bouts ever.
It’s an incredibly difficult fight to call and the difference between the men is slim. It’s hard to compare great stars like Smith and Payton, or Rice and Irvin, because they are all superb.
On Saturday, though, Pacquiao made a believer.
“Manny Pacquiao,” Clottey said after the fight, “is without a doubt the very best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”
Source: sports.yahoo.com
***
Manny Pacquiao easily outpoints gunshy Joshua Clottey -- The Examiner
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
ARLINGTON, TEXAS--Manny Pacquiao's will to win is unquenchable.
Joshua Clottey, who uses a prevent defense with his hands held high and tight, does not have that kind of thirst for great victories.
But his gloves did take a wicked beating from Pacquiao.
A huge crowd of 51,000 and millions watching around the world on TV evidenced that.
An irritated Clottey trainer Lenny DeJesus said, "Joshua had the power to knock Manny out but he was reluctant to punch. I don't think we really won a round."
They saw a 36-minute exercise that was not memorable except for the high-punching output of the Pinoy Idol.
Compubox numbers show the dispaarity in effort: Pacman threw 1,231 total punches and connected on 246 while the uninspired Ghanaian offered 399 punches and landed a mere 108.
Pacman was jab conscious, thrusting his southpaw right lead hand 549 times but the stat sheet said he only landed 14 of those cleanly. By contrast, Clottey firewd 162 of his left jabs and they say he connected on 26 of them.
In power punches, Manny threw 682 to Clottey's 237 with Manny landing 232 to Clottey's miniscule 82.
The bottom line here?
Long stretches of boredom. Manny kept trying to get Clottey to open but the challenger's offense was nothing but sporadic.
I wouldn't blame Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley if they both shut off their TV sets after watching the desultory effort of Clottey.
Manny had a sparring partner from Ghana who gave him a better fight than Clottey did, really.
Pacman earned his 51st professional victory at Cowboys Stadium Saturday night over Joshua Clottey and now heads back to the Philippines to get his Congressional campaign rolling .
I told you all that the "L" in Clottey stands for loser. A lovable loser I concede, but still a loser.
He's the good company man that promoter Bob Arum thought he he was and he showed no clear intention of upsetting Top Rank's big-time plans for its biggest superstar.
Judge Duane Ford had it 120-108, Levin Martinez pegged it 119-109 and Nelson Vazquez called it by a similar margin.
Sitting at ringside, I had it also by a 119-109 margin.
The fight had very few exciting moments despite Pacquiao giving it repeated efforts. He was fighting a guy who was not there to take any serious risks, to gamble for a spectacular upset.
That's Joshua, the good company man. Arum was right on Wednesday when he told me, "Clottey is a good loser!"
Such stirring drama is not in Clottey's emotional makeup, plain and simple.
I think Pacquiao electoral opponent Roy Chiongbian will throw a helluva lot more punches at Manny than Clottey did.
Hey, don't blame Manny because the other guy came to last the 12-round distance.
On to either Mayweather or Mosley...
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
ARLINGTON, TEXAS--Manny Pacquiao's will to win is unquenchable.
Joshua Clottey, who uses a prevent defense with his hands held high and tight, does not have that kind of thirst for great victories.
But his gloves did take a wicked beating from Pacquiao.
A huge crowd of 51,000 and millions watching around the world on TV evidenced that.
An irritated Clottey trainer Lenny DeJesus said, "Joshua had the power to knock Manny out but he was reluctant to punch. I don't think we really won a round."
They saw a 36-minute exercise that was not memorable except for the high-punching output of the Pinoy Idol.
Compubox numbers show the dispaarity in effort: Pacman threw 1,231 total punches and connected on 246 while the uninspired Ghanaian offered 399 punches and landed a mere 108.
Pacman was jab conscious, thrusting his southpaw right lead hand 549 times but the stat sheet said he only landed 14 of those cleanly. By contrast, Clottey firewd 162 of his left jabs and they say he connected on 26 of them.
In power punches, Manny threw 682 to Clottey's 237 with Manny landing 232 to Clottey's miniscule 82.
The bottom line here?
Long stretches of boredom. Manny kept trying to get Clottey to open but the challenger's offense was nothing but sporadic.
I wouldn't blame Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley if they both shut off their TV sets after watching the desultory effort of Clottey.
Manny had a sparring partner from Ghana who gave him a better fight than Clottey did, really.
Pacman earned his 51st professional victory at Cowboys Stadium Saturday night over Joshua Clottey and now heads back to the Philippines to get his Congressional campaign rolling .
I told you all that the "L" in Clottey stands for loser. A lovable loser I concede, but still a loser.
He's the good company man that promoter Bob Arum thought he he was and he showed no clear intention of upsetting Top Rank's big-time plans for its biggest superstar.
Judge Duane Ford had it 120-108, Levin Martinez pegged it 119-109 and Nelson Vazquez called it by a similar margin.
Sitting at ringside, I had it also by a 119-109 margin.
The fight had very few exciting moments despite Pacquiao giving it repeated efforts. He was fighting a guy who was not there to take any serious risks, to gamble for a spectacular upset.
That's Joshua, the good company man. Arum was right on Wednesday when he told me, "Clottey is a good loser!"
Such stirring drama is not in Clottey's emotional makeup, plain and simple.
I think Pacquiao electoral opponent Roy Chiongbian will throw a helluva lot more punches at Manny than Clottey did.
Hey, don't blame Manny because the other guy came to last the 12-round distance.
On to either Mayweather or Mosley...
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Pacquiao keeps Clottey on defensive, wins nearly every round -- The Examiner
By Colin Seymour, Examiner.com
Unable to land his signature punch, the straight left, Manny Pacquiao nevertheless overwhelmed Joshua Clottey in a subtle performance Saturday that did not dilute his legacy.
Pacquiao (51-3-2) won a unanimous decision, all 12 rounds on one scorecard and 11 on the other two, to retain the WBO welterweight title in Arlington, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium.
Jabbing and mounting a ferocious body attack, Pacquiao compensated brilliantly for his inability to land cleanly to the face. He established from the outset that he could preoccupy Clottey and discourage him from mounting an attack of his own. Pacquiao, landing only 246 punches but throwing 1,231, was three times as busy as Clottey.
Clottey did manage to hit Pacquiao with three or four uppercuts and five or six counter rights to the noggin’. But he did NOTHING else, except blocking hundreds of punches.
Nobody was going to give such an unaggressive challenger a decision in a fight like that. I gave him the fifth and sixth rounds, when Pacquiao moved less and invited Clottey to open up more, which he did a few times.
And that was that. By the seventh, it was obvious Clottey knew better than we did how badly he was outclassed. Maybe Pacquiao didn’t come close to a knockout, but Clottey obviously didn’t doubt it was possible.
“I think he’s feeling Pacquiao’s power,” Clottey’s trainer Lenny DeJesus said during a late-rounds interview with HBO.
Clottey (35-4), whose previous losses were narrow ones to Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito and a disqualification against Carlos Baldimir, gave Pacquiao his due. “He has (too much) speed,” Clottey said. “It was the first time I’ve lost a fight.”
In explaining his caution, Clottey praised Pacquiao. “He was waiting for me to open up so he could counter me.” Clearly Clottey felt that would be a lot worse than the 12 rounds of frustration and futility that ensued instead.
“It was not an easy fight,” Pacquiao conceded. But he didn’t let that frustrate him. “I wasn’t in a hurry because he was looking for a big shot, an opening.”
When he wasn’t bobbing and weaving and dodging and ducking, that is.
If there was any assumption that Clottey could have turned the tide by showing more courage, the 11th round ended that. Clottey mounted his only sustained attack of the fight, and Pacquiao answered every assault with more impressive flurries of his own.
Following his amazing victories against seemingly larger men in the past 16 months, over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Cotto, the whuppin’ Pacquiao administered Saturday was as lopsided as his other three and in its own way just as impressive.
Source: examiner.com
Unable to land his signature punch, the straight left, Manny Pacquiao nevertheless overwhelmed Joshua Clottey in a subtle performance Saturday that did not dilute his legacy.
Pacquiao (51-3-2) won a unanimous decision, all 12 rounds on one scorecard and 11 on the other two, to retain the WBO welterweight title in Arlington, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium.
Jabbing and mounting a ferocious body attack, Pacquiao compensated brilliantly for his inability to land cleanly to the face. He established from the outset that he could preoccupy Clottey and discourage him from mounting an attack of his own. Pacquiao, landing only 246 punches but throwing 1,231, was three times as busy as Clottey.
Clottey did manage to hit Pacquiao with three or four uppercuts and five or six counter rights to the noggin’. But he did NOTHING else, except blocking hundreds of punches.
Nobody was going to give such an unaggressive challenger a decision in a fight like that. I gave him the fifth and sixth rounds, when Pacquiao moved less and invited Clottey to open up more, which he did a few times.
And that was that. By the seventh, it was obvious Clottey knew better than we did how badly he was outclassed. Maybe Pacquiao didn’t come close to a knockout, but Clottey obviously didn’t doubt it was possible.
“I think he’s feeling Pacquiao’s power,” Clottey’s trainer Lenny DeJesus said during a late-rounds interview with HBO.
Clottey (35-4), whose previous losses were narrow ones to Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito and a disqualification against Carlos Baldimir, gave Pacquiao his due. “He has (too much) speed,” Clottey said. “It was the first time I’ve lost a fight.”
In explaining his caution, Clottey praised Pacquiao. “He was waiting for me to open up so he could counter me.” Clearly Clottey felt that would be a lot worse than the 12 rounds of frustration and futility that ensued instead.
“It was not an easy fight,” Pacquiao conceded. But he didn’t let that frustrate him. “I wasn’t in a hurry because he was looking for a big shot, an opening.”
When he wasn’t bobbing and weaving and dodging and ducking, that is.
If there was any assumption that Clottey could have turned the tide by showing more courage, the 11th round ended that. Clottey mounted his only sustained attack of the fight, and Pacquiao answered every assault with more impressive flurries of his own.
Following his amazing victories against seemingly larger men in the past 16 months, over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Cotto, the whuppin’ Pacquiao administered Saturday was as lopsided as his other three and in its own way just as impressive.
Source: examiner.com
Lessons from Pacquiao-Clottey -- Sports Illustrated
SI.com
Five things we learned from Manny Pacquiao's unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium:
1. Simply put, Joshua Clottey didn't come to win -- B's and C's may get degrees, but a half-hearted effort gets you nothing if you're fighting for a world championship. Clottey spent the first six rounds in a deep defensive guard, not throwing nearly enough punches to match Pacquiao's extraordinary work rate. Even when he showed flashes of initiative, like a series of combinations early in the seventh, Pacquiao responded with a combination and Clottey reverted to the earmuffs. At first you wondered if there was a method to the madness -- was Clottey letting the champion punch himself out? No matter. If there was a trap to spring, Pacquiao's supreme conditioning never allowed his opponent the chance.
2. Pacquiao's work rate was off the charts -- The CompuBox numbers were outrageous: Pacquiao let fly 1,231 punches -- more than 100 per round -- and landed 246 of them. Even more staggering, Pacquiao threw 832 more punches than Clottey. Even if Saturday's fight didn't culminate with the spectacular denouement we've come to expect from Pacquiao's outings, the champion still delivered a virtuoso performance. Unable to penetrate Clottey's fortress-like defense in the early rounds, Pacquiao continued to circle the challenger, staying busy while throwing unpredictable flurries of punches. If Clottey did land the occasional shot -- the right hook into an uppercut was a stand-by -- Pacquiao absorbed the damage and moved forward. When Clottey snapped Pacquiao's head with a right uppercut in the third round, the champion quickly gathered his bearings and finished the round strong.
3. The champion is that good -- Make no mistake: Clottey is one of the world's elite welterweights. This wasn't Oscar De La Hoya, a faded legend who'd outgrown the 147-pound division. It wasn't Miguel Cotto, who fought Pacquiao at a catch-weight of 145. Clottey is a full-sized welterweight with significant height and reach advantages who likely outweighed Pacquiao by 15 pounds. And the tough-as-nails Ghanian couldn't even win a round (according to two of the three judges). Pacquiao's fight plan to attack the body -- he landed a career-high 108 body shots -- was executed to perfection against stubborn opposition. "This is the first time I have lost a fight," Clottey said. "All my fights I lost, I never thought I lost."
4. We need more boxing in stadium-size venues --The official attendance for Saturday's card at Cowboys Stadium was 50,994, a figure that managed to exceed the rosy expectations of Bob Arum and Jerry Jones. Only two fights in the U.S. during the past 50 years drew more fans: Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks II at the Superdome in 1978 (63,350) and Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez at the Alamodome in 1993 (59,995). Even though Clottey fought a negative fight, the atmosphere in Jones' $1.3 billion pleasure palace was electric from start to finish. With Cotto scheduled to meet Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium on June 5, here's hoping we're seeing the beginning of a trend of boxing in larger venues.
5. There's (still) only one fight that every sports fan wants to see -- Presuming Floyd Mayweather gets past Shane Mosley on May 1, the megafight between Pacquiao and Pretty Boy Floyd must happen. It's almost impossible to imagine both fighters walking away from an $80 million purse ... again. "It's a fight the world's wants to see," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "Get in the ring and fight us."
Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com
Five things we learned from Manny Pacquiao's unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium:
1. Simply put, Joshua Clottey didn't come to win -- B's and C's may get degrees, but a half-hearted effort gets you nothing if you're fighting for a world championship. Clottey spent the first six rounds in a deep defensive guard, not throwing nearly enough punches to match Pacquiao's extraordinary work rate. Even when he showed flashes of initiative, like a series of combinations early in the seventh, Pacquiao responded with a combination and Clottey reverted to the earmuffs. At first you wondered if there was a method to the madness -- was Clottey letting the champion punch himself out? No matter. If there was a trap to spring, Pacquiao's supreme conditioning never allowed his opponent the chance.
2. Pacquiao's work rate was off the charts -- The CompuBox numbers were outrageous: Pacquiao let fly 1,231 punches -- more than 100 per round -- and landed 246 of them. Even more staggering, Pacquiao threw 832 more punches than Clottey. Even if Saturday's fight didn't culminate with the spectacular denouement we've come to expect from Pacquiao's outings, the champion still delivered a virtuoso performance. Unable to penetrate Clottey's fortress-like defense in the early rounds, Pacquiao continued to circle the challenger, staying busy while throwing unpredictable flurries of punches. If Clottey did land the occasional shot -- the right hook into an uppercut was a stand-by -- Pacquiao absorbed the damage and moved forward. When Clottey snapped Pacquiao's head with a right uppercut in the third round, the champion quickly gathered his bearings and finished the round strong.
3. The champion is that good -- Make no mistake: Clottey is one of the world's elite welterweights. This wasn't Oscar De La Hoya, a faded legend who'd outgrown the 147-pound division. It wasn't Miguel Cotto, who fought Pacquiao at a catch-weight of 145. Clottey is a full-sized welterweight with significant height and reach advantages who likely outweighed Pacquiao by 15 pounds. And the tough-as-nails Ghanian couldn't even win a round (according to two of the three judges). Pacquiao's fight plan to attack the body -- he landed a career-high 108 body shots -- was executed to perfection against stubborn opposition. "This is the first time I have lost a fight," Clottey said. "All my fights I lost, I never thought I lost."
4. We need more boxing in stadium-size venues --The official attendance for Saturday's card at Cowboys Stadium was 50,994, a figure that managed to exceed the rosy expectations of Bob Arum and Jerry Jones. Only two fights in the U.S. during the past 50 years drew more fans: Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks II at the Superdome in 1978 (63,350) and Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez at the Alamodome in 1993 (59,995). Even though Clottey fought a negative fight, the atmosphere in Jones' $1.3 billion pleasure palace was electric from start to finish. With Cotto scheduled to meet Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium on June 5, here's hoping we're seeing the beginning of a trend of boxing in larger venues.
5. There's (still) only one fight that every sports fan wants to see -- Presuming Floyd Mayweather gets past Shane Mosley on May 1, the megafight between Pacquiao and Pretty Boy Floyd must happen. It's almost impossible to imagine both fighters walking away from an $80 million purse ... again. "It's a fight the world's wants to see," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "Get in the ring and fight us."
Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com
Pacquiao dominates Clottey -- FOX News
FoxSports
Clottey battled in Texas. Steve Bien-Aime blogged all the action.
Clottey makes his way to the ring. He looks composed, but he doesn't look entirely relaxed. A question that needs to be answered is how does Clottey handle the big stage?
Pacquiao is next. He looks a little more serious than in his previous fights, but he again has a giant smile on his face. He slaps hands with a few fans. Cowboys Stadium is definitely the right venue for Pacquiao.
Round 1
Very cautious start. Clottey is fighting a very defensive fight. He's landing the jab -- when he decides to throw it, which is infrequently. Pacquiao is struggling to break Clottey's guard. Pacquiao is dedicated to hitting Clottey's body. Pacquiao is the initiator so far.
Round 2
Pacquiao continues to press Clottey, who's really not doing too much. Clottey is landing some stiff shots, but neither fighter is making a big impression yet. However, Pacquiao's aggressiveness is the story of the fight.
Round 3
Both fighters are starting to land a little bit more. If Clottey thinks he'll finish Pacquiao with one big shot, he's wrong. Pacquiao's body work could pay big dividends later. Clottey's just not doing enough.
Round 4
Clottey went through a minute stretch where he didn't throw any punches. Pacquiao continues to pound away, but he's not landing much cleanly. Clottey finishes the round with a big flourish, but he appears to be falling far behind on the scorecards.
Round 5
It's not looking good for Clottey. Pacquiao took his foot off the gas and he still looks like he won the round. Clottey is landing crisp punches, but one or two at every 30 seconds won't beat Pacquiao. Clottey has got to let his hands go.
Round 6
Clottey is fighting his fight and is losing badly. He's not hurt, but Pacquiao is dominating with his whirlwind style. In this round, Clottey didn't land anything of value.
Round 7
Pacquiao again looks like he took the round off and dominated. Clottey needs to bull Pacquiao against the ropes and let his hands go. The crowd of 51,000 has been pretty quiet. I can't blame them. One guy is fighting, the other one wants to just go the distance.
Round 8
A headbutt and a low blow were the most eventful action. Pacquiao chased Clottey around the ring, breaking his guard a bit. Clottey looked like he threw two punches in the final 45 seconds. Does he know this is the biggest opportunity of his life?
Round 9
Pacquiao is fighting in bursts and even that's impressive. I think he knows a knockout won't come, but he's giving the fans a show with some nice combinations. It looks like Clottey knows he won't win either.
Round 10
All the credibility Clottey got from his June fight with Miguel Cotto is out the window. He's not doing anything. Pacquiao is continuing to swarm Clottey and his accuracy is improving. Pacquiao must be in phenomeonal condition. He's still going strong.
Round 11
What a display by Pacquiao! Clottey tried to step it up and Pacquiao showed him why's the best the in the world. The combinations and aggression are too much for Clottey.
Round 12
Clottey might have done enough to avoid a shutout. There's only one fight we want to see and this wasn't it.
Pacquiao wins by unanimous decision .
Source: foxnews.com
Clottey battled in Texas. Steve Bien-Aime blogged all the action.
Clottey makes his way to the ring. He looks composed, but he doesn't look entirely relaxed. A question that needs to be answered is how does Clottey handle the big stage?
Pacquiao is next. He looks a little more serious than in his previous fights, but he again has a giant smile on his face. He slaps hands with a few fans. Cowboys Stadium is definitely the right venue for Pacquiao.
Round 1
Very cautious start. Clottey is fighting a very defensive fight. He's landing the jab -- when he decides to throw it, which is infrequently. Pacquiao is struggling to break Clottey's guard. Pacquiao is dedicated to hitting Clottey's body. Pacquiao is the initiator so far.
Round 2
Pacquiao continues to press Clottey, who's really not doing too much. Clottey is landing some stiff shots, but neither fighter is making a big impression yet. However, Pacquiao's aggressiveness is the story of the fight.
Round 3
Both fighters are starting to land a little bit more. If Clottey thinks he'll finish Pacquiao with one big shot, he's wrong. Pacquiao's body work could pay big dividends later. Clottey's just not doing enough.
Round 4
Clottey went through a minute stretch where he didn't throw any punches. Pacquiao continues to pound away, but he's not landing much cleanly. Clottey finishes the round with a big flourish, but he appears to be falling far behind on the scorecards.
Round 5
It's not looking good for Clottey. Pacquiao took his foot off the gas and he still looks like he won the round. Clottey is landing crisp punches, but one or two at every 30 seconds won't beat Pacquiao. Clottey has got to let his hands go.
Round 6
Clottey is fighting his fight and is losing badly. He's not hurt, but Pacquiao is dominating with his whirlwind style. In this round, Clottey didn't land anything of value.
Round 7
Pacquiao again looks like he took the round off and dominated. Clottey needs to bull Pacquiao against the ropes and let his hands go. The crowd of 51,000 has been pretty quiet. I can't blame them. One guy is fighting, the other one wants to just go the distance.
Round 8
A headbutt and a low blow were the most eventful action. Pacquiao chased Clottey around the ring, breaking his guard a bit. Clottey looked like he threw two punches in the final 45 seconds. Does he know this is the biggest opportunity of his life?
Round 9
Pacquiao is fighting in bursts and even that's impressive. I think he knows a knockout won't come, but he's giving the fans a show with some nice combinations. It looks like Clottey knows he won't win either.
Round 10
All the credibility Clottey got from his June fight with Miguel Cotto is out the window. He's not doing anything. Pacquiao is continuing to swarm Clottey and his accuracy is improving. Pacquiao must be in phenomeonal condition. He's still going strong.
Round 11
What a display by Pacquiao! Clottey tried to step it up and Pacquiao showed him why's the best the in the world. The combinations and aggression are too much for Clottey.
Round 12
Clottey might have done enough to avoid a shutout. There's only one fight we want to see and this wasn't it.
Pacquiao wins by unanimous decision .
Source: foxnews.com
In the event of reluctance: Pacquiao dominates Clottey -- 15Rounds
By Bart Barry, 15Rounds.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. – “The Event” was promoter Top Rank’s largest happening in years – a championship prizefight featuring the worldwide phenomenon of Manny Pacquiao in a breathtaking new edifice before the largest domestic boxing audience since 1993. So as one sportswriter thought to put it, “Joshua Clottey fought like a loyal Top Rank employee.”
Much to experts’ surprise and ringsiders’ chagrin, Pacquiao (51-3-2, 32 KOs) had no trouble whatever with the tense and tentative Clottey (35-4, 21 KOs), beating him to the punch roughly 1,200 times and cruising to a lopsided decision: 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109.
Clottey – who once changed his moniker from “Hitter” to “Grand Master” and might next try “Reluctant” – surprised even knowledgeable fans with his complete unwillingness to hit until conditions were perfect. It took no expertise to know Pacquiao would never grant him such conditions, and so, after some initial nervousness, Pacquiao spent the first round keeping Clottey uncomfortable.
Then in round 2, Pacquiao began to exploit the obvious disparity in the men’s reflexes, moving casually and snapping jabs and hooks to the body. An ill-advised retreat by Pacquiao, though – hands up, chin tucked – brought life to Clottey’s hands, which by then had been dormant for four minutes. Through the fight’s opening quarter, whoever was punching was winning. That happened to be Pacquiao most of the time.
Somewhat frustrated by his inability to hook around Clottey’s shell defense in the fourth round, Pacquiao – in an uncharacteristic bit of clowning – threw a hook with both hands at the same time, resulting in a warning from the referee. Clottey, on the other hand, was far too respectful, following Pacquiao around the ring as if waiting for the other man’s approval before throwing his next punch.
At the fight’s midpoint, it was a shutout: Pacquiao 6-0. A while later, it would be 12-0.
If Pacquiao felt any psychological pressure from being stalked by a bigger man, after the opening rounds he didn’t show it. Boxing confidently and discouraging Clottey whenever he had to, Pacquiao took rounds 7, 8 and 9 as easily as he’d taken their six predecessors.
In round 10, things got interesting for just that many seconds as Clottey landed four punches in-a-row for the first time in a half hour of boxing. Then Pacquiao got serious, came out his shell and took away Clottey’s spirit yet again. The championship rounds saw no new excitement. Clottey fought as if happy to have spent 36 minutes in a ring with Pacquiao, and nothing like a challenger should.
If there was suspense at the reading of the judges’ cards it was sparked by a doubt that all three judges would give Pacquiao all 12 rounds. They didn’t, of course. End of suspense.
“I can’t believe it,” Pacquiao (modestly) said of his victory after the fight.
Neither could the rest of us, Manny, unfortunately enough.
HUMBERTO SOTO VS. DAVID DIAZ
If Mexican lightweights Humberto Soto and David Diaz wake up feeling a wee bit cheated of due affection on Sunday morning, they’ll be well within their rights. Both men gave what they had to the crowd and judges, Saturday, though neither party was paying them much mind.
In a fight significantly closer than two judges had it, Soto (51-7-2, 32 KOs) defeated Diaz (35-3-1, 17 KOs) by unanimous decision – 115-111, 117-109, 117-109 – to become the WBC lightweight world champion.
A fine indication of the Cowboys Stadium crowd’s interest in fighters not nicknamed “Pacman,” though, came at the midway point of round 2 – just as Soto scored a flash knockdown – and continued for five minutes, as the capacity crowd invoked a part of eighties sports lore, doing the wave for 10 stadium-wide swells.
Unbeknownst to many of the wavers, though, a very good fight was going on before them. Despite being the slower, less technically sound man in the ring, southpaw David Diaz was handling everything Soto hit him with and still stubbornly marching forward. Diaz’s experience – comprising many more fights at lightweight than Soto – told, as he was undissuaded by the smaller man’s accurate counterpunches.
Round 9 featured especially feral action as Diaz blasted Soto with left crosses, and Soto fired back with left hooks and uppercuts. While Soto was landing the more accurate punches, Diaz was surely getting his money’s worth from each exchange.
The next round saw an ounce of give in Soto. Diaz’s relentlessness – probably his most distinguishing trait as a prizefighter – took a bit of resolve from Soto’s legs and some snap from his punches. Combined with Soto’s evident fatigue, Diaz’s constant hustle made the championship rounds extremely close.
After embracing before the 12th and final round, Soto and Diaz then committed to a mutually brutalizing finish, using shoulders, elbows, heads and low blows to wear one another out. Diaz’s legs gave first, though, tossing him onto his knees with 10 seconds remaining in the match. That knockdown, and the one that came in the second round, combined to give Soto a victory on the one card that properly captured the fight – judge Gale Van Hoy’s, interestingly enough.
ALFONSO GOMEZ VS. JOSE LUIS CASTILLO
Whatever motivation Mexican Jose Luis Castillo had for rising to 145 pounds and then fighting anyway did not sustain him for all of 15 minutes Saturday. So his corner wisely canceled the final five rounds of his fight with fellow Mexican Alfonso Gomez – waving things off after round 5. With any luck, they’ll cancel Castillo’s future hopes of fighting, next.
Meeting Gomez (22-4-2, 10 KOs) in “The Event’s” second televised match of the night, Castillo (60-10-1, 52 KOs) began in a way that looked initially tentative and then outright sluggish. He threw few punches with authority but seemed at least partially engaged in the fight’s opening three minutes.
An exchange in the next round spoke volumes about Castillo’s chances, though. Closing space against Gomez – who’ll never have the class Castillo showed in his prime (many years ago) – Castillo got a bit too close, and Gomez simply tossed him away, a welterweight throwing a lightweight. Then round 3 saw a clash of heads that sent Castillo spinning towards the referee as if already looking for an honorable discharge.
Rounds 4 and 5 saw Gomez land right uppercuts that took far greater effect than Castillo’s counter left hooks. After dragging his feet back to the corner at the end of the fifth, Castillo made no protest when his corner stopped the match.
While you never wish to speculate about a prizefighter’s financial well-being, today, Castillo – once marked by an obsessive will to win – appears to be going through the motions merely for a paycheck. Dangerous motions, indeed. You can no longer love boxing and still hope Castillo keeps fighting.
JOHN DUDDY VS. MICHAEL MEDINA
If you weren’t sure how things might go when Ireland’s John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs) squared off with Mexico’s Michael Medina (22-2-2, 17 KOs) in “The Event’s” first televised fight, a 10-round middleweight match, you needed look no further than the color of both fighters’ gloves: Green.
That color said Irish, and so did two judges, scoring a split-decision victory for Duddy: 96-93, 93-96, 96-93.
After starting fast, seasoning his shamrocks with chile by putting left hooks on Medina’s body, Duddy collected a pair of right-hand counters in round 3 that slowed his attack and made onlookers think that if Medina were the larger man, Duddy might be in genuine peril.
After five rounds, both guys’d had enough of jabbing and commenced to swapping left hooks and counter right uppercuts, with Duddy winning most exchanges and Medina scoring with plenty of his own punches.
By the eighth round, the hooks each man had landed on the other began to tell on the fighters’ legs, as Duddy and Medina had both slowed considerably. But in an effort to sap Duddy’s reserves further with hooks to the liver, Medina’s left glove strayed south one too many times, resulting in a point deducted from the Mexican’s tally for low blows.
Befitting their proud fighting traditions – Irish and Mexican – Duddy and Medina closed the fight winging punches without regard for defense or respect for one another’s power. The luck of the Irish prevailed, though, and Duddy escaped with his split-decision victory.
UNDERCARD
“The Event’s” final off-television match saw Fort Worth’s Arthur Trevino (5-3-3, 2 KOs) wage a sustained four-round featherweight scrap with Arizonan Isaac Hidalgo (6-5-2, 1 KO). One ringside judge declared Hidalgo the winner of every round, 40-36, while the other two saw the rounds split, turning in cards of 38-38. The official result, then, was a majority draw.
Before that, California super welterweight Rodrigo Garcia (6-0, 5 KOs) walk directly through Calvin Pitts (5-12-1, 1 KO), needing until only 2:21 of the second round to stop the overmatched Texan. It was a very limited test for Garcia, whose unblemished record was never in danger.
Local interest was piqued when two super bantamweights from Dallas – Roberto Marroquin (13-0, 10 KOs) and Samuel Sanchez (4-2-1) – touched gloves and came out fighting in Saturday’s fourth undercard match. Local interest then reached a peak when a second-round left hook from Marroquin felled Sanchez with such violence that no count ensued. Marroquin was declared the winner by TKO at 1:36 of round 2.
The afternoon’s next fight was of patronymic importance to Mexican fans if no one else, as Salvador Sanchez (19-3-2, 9 KOs) and Jaime Villa (8-8-2, 3 KOs) made an enjoyable eight-round featherweight match that featured some hooks, some uppercuts, some fouling and plenty of misses. After scoring an early knockdown, the Mexican named after a famous prizefighter, Sanchez, stopped the Mexican named after a famous revolutionary fighter, Villa – throwing left hooks to the liver till 1:09 of round 6, when Villa could not continue and Sanchez became the victor.
Before that came a featherweight bout between the Philippines’ Michael Farenas (26-2-3, 23 KOs) and San Antonio’s Joe Morales (20-13, 4 KOs), ended as a no-decision at 2:25 of the second round when an accidental collision of heads opened a deep gash over Morales’ right eye, causing the ringside doctor to prohibit further action.
Saturday’s action began with an eight-round bantamweight slugfest between Filipino Eden Sonsona (19-5, 6 KOs) and Columbian Mauricio Pastrana (35-13-2, 24 KOs). After dropping Pastrana several times in the middle rounds, Sonsona brought the match to a sudden end at 1:33 of the final round – striking Pastrana with a left cross of such authority that no count was attempted.
Announced attendance was 50,994 – the largest American crowd to see a fight in 17 years.
First bell of “The Event” rang through Cowboys Stadium at 5:20 p.m. CT.
Source: 15rounds.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. – “The Event” was promoter Top Rank’s largest happening in years – a championship prizefight featuring the worldwide phenomenon of Manny Pacquiao in a breathtaking new edifice before the largest domestic boxing audience since 1993. So as one sportswriter thought to put it, “Joshua Clottey fought like a loyal Top Rank employee.”
Much to experts’ surprise and ringsiders’ chagrin, Pacquiao (51-3-2, 32 KOs) had no trouble whatever with the tense and tentative Clottey (35-4, 21 KOs), beating him to the punch roughly 1,200 times and cruising to a lopsided decision: 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109.
Clottey – who once changed his moniker from “Hitter” to “Grand Master” and might next try “Reluctant” – surprised even knowledgeable fans with his complete unwillingness to hit until conditions were perfect. It took no expertise to know Pacquiao would never grant him such conditions, and so, after some initial nervousness, Pacquiao spent the first round keeping Clottey uncomfortable.
Then in round 2, Pacquiao began to exploit the obvious disparity in the men’s reflexes, moving casually and snapping jabs and hooks to the body. An ill-advised retreat by Pacquiao, though – hands up, chin tucked – brought life to Clottey’s hands, which by then had been dormant for four minutes. Through the fight’s opening quarter, whoever was punching was winning. That happened to be Pacquiao most of the time.
Somewhat frustrated by his inability to hook around Clottey’s shell defense in the fourth round, Pacquiao – in an uncharacteristic bit of clowning – threw a hook with both hands at the same time, resulting in a warning from the referee. Clottey, on the other hand, was far too respectful, following Pacquiao around the ring as if waiting for the other man’s approval before throwing his next punch.
At the fight’s midpoint, it was a shutout: Pacquiao 6-0. A while later, it would be 12-0.
If Pacquiao felt any psychological pressure from being stalked by a bigger man, after the opening rounds he didn’t show it. Boxing confidently and discouraging Clottey whenever he had to, Pacquiao took rounds 7, 8 and 9 as easily as he’d taken their six predecessors.
In round 10, things got interesting for just that many seconds as Clottey landed four punches in-a-row for the first time in a half hour of boxing. Then Pacquiao got serious, came out his shell and took away Clottey’s spirit yet again. The championship rounds saw no new excitement. Clottey fought as if happy to have spent 36 minutes in a ring with Pacquiao, and nothing like a challenger should.
If there was suspense at the reading of the judges’ cards it was sparked by a doubt that all three judges would give Pacquiao all 12 rounds. They didn’t, of course. End of suspense.
“I can’t believe it,” Pacquiao (modestly) said of his victory after the fight.
Neither could the rest of us, Manny, unfortunately enough.
HUMBERTO SOTO VS. DAVID DIAZ
If Mexican lightweights Humberto Soto and David Diaz wake up feeling a wee bit cheated of due affection on Sunday morning, they’ll be well within their rights. Both men gave what they had to the crowd and judges, Saturday, though neither party was paying them much mind.
In a fight significantly closer than two judges had it, Soto (51-7-2, 32 KOs) defeated Diaz (35-3-1, 17 KOs) by unanimous decision – 115-111, 117-109, 117-109 – to become the WBC lightweight world champion.
A fine indication of the Cowboys Stadium crowd’s interest in fighters not nicknamed “Pacman,” though, came at the midway point of round 2 – just as Soto scored a flash knockdown – and continued for five minutes, as the capacity crowd invoked a part of eighties sports lore, doing the wave for 10 stadium-wide swells.
Unbeknownst to many of the wavers, though, a very good fight was going on before them. Despite being the slower, less technically sound man in the ring, southpaw David Diaz was handling everything Soto hit him with and still stubbornly marching forward. Diaz’s experience – comprising many more fights at lightweight than Soto – told, as he was undissuaded by the smaller man’s accurate counterpunches.
Round 9 featured especially feral action as Diaz blasted Soto with left crosses, and Soto fired back with left hooks and uppercuts. While Soto was landing the more accurate punches, Diaz was surely getting his money’s worth from each exchange.
The next round saw an ounce of give in Soto. Diaz’s relentlessness – probably his most distinguishing trait as a prizefighter – took a bit of resolve from Soto’s legs and some snap from his punches. Combined with Soto’s evident fatigue, Diaz’s constant hustle made the championship rounds extremely close.
After embracing before the 12th and final round, Soto and Diaz then committed to a mutually brutalizing finish, using shoulders, elbows, heads and low blows to wear one another out. Diaz’s legs gave first, though, tossing him onto his knees with 10 seconds remaining in the match. That knockdown, and the one that came in the second round, combined to give Soto a victory on the one card that properly captured the fight – judge Gale Van Hoy’s, interestingly enough.
ALFONSO GOMEZ VS. JOSE LUIS CASTILLO
Whatever motivation Mexican Jose Luis Castillo had for rising to 145 pounds and then fighting anyway did not sustain him for all of 15 minutes Saturday. So his corner wisely canceled the final five rounds of his fight with fellow Mexican Alfonso Gomez – waving things off after round 5. With any luck, they’ll cancel Castillo’s future hopes of fighting, next.
Meeting Gomez (22-4-2, 10 KOs) in “The Event’s” second televised match of the night, Castillo (60-10-1, 52 KOs) began in a way that looked initially tentative and then outright sluggish. He threw few punches with authority but seemed at least partially engaged in the fight’s opening three minutes.
An exchange in the next round spoke volumes about Castillo’s chances, though. Closing space against Gomez – who’ll never have the class Castillo showed in his prime (many years ago) – Castillo got a bit too close, and Gomez simply tossed him away, a welterweight throwing a lightweight. Then round 3 saw a clash of heads that sent Castillo spinning towards the referee as if already looking for an honorable discharge.
Rounds 4 and 5 saw Gomez land right uppercuts that took far greater effect than Castillo’s counter left hooks. After dragging his feet back to the corner at the end of the fifth, Castillo made no protest when his corner stopped the match.
While you never wish to speculate about a prizefighter’s financial well-being, today, Castillo – once marked by an obsessive will to win – appears to be going through the motions merely for a paycheck. Dangerous motions, indeed. You can no longer love boxing and still hope Castillo keeps fighting.
JOHN DUDDY VS. MICHAEL MEDINA
If you weren’t sure how things might go when Ireland’s John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs) squared off with Mexico’s Michael Medina (22-2-2, 17 KOs) in “The Event’s” first televised fight, a 10-round middleweight match, you needed look no further than the color of both fighters’ gloves: Green.
That color said Irish, and so did two judges, scoring a split-decision victory for Duddy: 96-93, 93-96, 96-93.
After starting fast, seasoning his shamrocks with chile by putting left hooks on Medina’s body, Duddy collected a pair of right-hand counters in round 3 that slowed his attack and made onlookers think that if Medina were the larger man, Duddy might be in genuine peril.
After five rounds, both guys’d had enough of jabbing and commenced to swapping left hooks and counter right uppercuts, with Duddy winning most exchanges and Medina scoring with plenty of his own punches.
By the eighth round, the hooks each man had landed on the other began to tell on the fighters’ legs, as Duddy and Medina had both slowed considerably. But in an effort to sap Duddy’s reserves further with hooks to the liver, Medina’s left glove strayed south one too many times, resulting in a point deducted from the Mexican’s tally for low blows.
Befitting their proud fighting traditions – Irish and Mexican – Duddy and Medina closed the fight winging punches without regard for defense or respect for one another’s power. The luck of the Irish prevailed, though, and Duddy escaped with his split-decision victory.
UNDERCARD
“The Event’s” final off-television match saw Fort Worth’s Arthur Trevino (5-3-3, 2 KOs) wage a sustained four-round featherweight scrap with Arizonan Isaac Hidalgo (6-5-2, 1 KO). One ringside judge declared Hidalgo the winner of every round, 40-36, while the other two saw the rounds split, turning in cards of 38-38. The official result, then, was a majority draw.
Before that, California super welterweight Rodrigo Garcia (6-0, 5 KOs) walk directly through Calvin Pitts (5-12-1, 1 KO), needing until only 2:21 of the second round to stop the overmatched Texan. It was a very limited test for Garcia, whose unblemished record was never in danger.
Local interest was piqued when two super bantamweights from Dallas – Roberto Marroquin (13-0, 10 KOs) and Samuel Sanchez (4-2-1) – touched gloves and came out fighting in Saturday’s fourth undercard match. Local interest then reached a peak when a second-round left hook from Marroquin felled Sanchez with such violence that no count ensued. Marroquin was declared the winner by TKO at 1:36 of round 2.
The afternoon’s next fight was of patronymic importance to Mexican fans if no one else, as Salvador Sanchez (19-3-2, 9 KOs) and Jaime Villa (8-8-2, 3 KOs) made an enjoyable eight-round featherweight match that featured some hooks, some uppercuts, some fouling and plenty of misses. After scoring an early knockdown, the Mexican named after a famous prizefighter, Sanchez, stopped the Mexican named after a famous revolutionary fighter, Villa – throwing left hooks to the liver till 1:09 of round 6, when Villa could not continue and Sanchez became the victor.
Before that came a featherweight bout between the Philippines’ Michael Farenas (26-2-3, 23 KOs) and San Antonio’s Joe Morales (20-13, 4 KOs), ended as a no-decision at 2:25 of the second round when an accidental collision of heads opened a deep gash over Morales’ right eye, causing the ringside doctor to prohibit further action.
Saturday’s action began with an eight-round bantamweight slugfest between Filipino Eden Sonsona (19-5, 6 KOs) and Columbian Mauricio Pastrana (35-13-2, 24 KOs). After dropping Pastrana several times in the middle rounds, Sonsona brought the match to a sudden end at 1:33 of the final round – striking Pastrana with a left cross of such authority that no count was attempted.
Announced attendance was 50,994 – the largest American crowd to see a fight in 17 years.
First bell of “The Event” rang through Cowboys Stadium at 5:20 p.m. CT.
Source: 15rounds.com
Pacquiao proves worth against Clottey -- ESPN
By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Round after round, Manny Pacquiao, the greatest fighter in the world, pounded Joshua Clottey like a punching bag.
It permitted plenty of time to reflect on the fighter who has become the greatest show on Earth. In the case of Pacquiao's shutout decision against Clottey to retain his welterweight title in his first defense on Saturday night, it was a one-man show. A virtuoso performance of the highest level.
It also permitted plenty of time to contemplate the possibility of the one fight the world wants to see: Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But first Pacquiao had to take care of Clottey.
No problem.
While Pacquiao landed combinations -- sometimes seven or eight punches in rapid succession -- Clottey did almost nothing.
Yet the boisterous crowd of 50,994 still cheered Pacquiao's every move. They probably would have cheered had he been in the ring shadowboxing in the main event of the first card at Jerry Jones' sparkling $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, a spectacle that even featured a trio of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders singing the Star Spangled Banner.
Pacquiao's transformation has been nothing short of remarkable, and Saturday's fight just added to his growing legend, one which can't conclude until we see him face Mayweather.
Think about it: Pacquiao was a poor kid from the Philippines who came to the United States in 2001 as an obscure former flyweight champion, won a junior featherweight belt and never stopped. He has risen up through the weight classes to win seven world titles in a record seven divisions, knocking out Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto along the way.
He has also become a worldwide phenomenon with a media corps that follows him like it once followed Muhammad Ali. He performs concerts after his fights. And he has become an amazing gate attraction.
He has become the face of boxing.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) was fighting a good contender and former titleholder in Clottey (35-4, 21 KOs), but an opponent who was unknown to the masses. Yet Pacquiao drew a massive crowd.
It was the third-largest indoor attendance in U.S. boxing history, beaten only by the 63,350 who attended the 1979 heavyweight title rematch between Ali and Leon Spinks at the New Orleans Superdome and the 59,995 who attended the 1993 welterweight championship fight between Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez at at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
"It's one of the most incredible stories, not just boxing, just stories of a guy who starts on the streets of Manila in a cardboard shack and 14 years later he puts 51,000 people in this opulent stadium," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "If you wrote it as a movie script nobody would believe you, it is so far-fetched."
He had no problem with Clottey, who made $1.25 million plus an upside that kicks in after 300,000 pay-per-view sales. From the first round, when Pacquiao attacked him with jabs and combinations, to the last round, when he was still firing combinations, he never gave Clottey a chance to breathe. He was particularly effective ripping Clottey to the body.
"It was not an easy fight," Pacquiao said, even though it sure looked like one. "He's a good fighter. I threw a lot of jabs in the beginning to counter his hook and uppercut. I felt his power. He's so strong. I could tell he was looking to land the big shot throughout the fight."
But Clottey, 32, never came close to doing so, making it an easy fight to score. One judge had it 120-108. The other two gave Clottey one round apiece, scoring it 119-109. ESPN.com also had it a 120-108 shutout.
"I felt I was in control after the first round," said Pacquiao, who made a minimum of $12 million plus a share of the pay-per-view profits.
Pacquiao, 31, landed 246 of 1,231 punches (20 percent) while Clottey was limited to landing 108 of 399 punches (27 percent).
"I thought we won every round," said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer. "We pressured him. He had a good defense but good defense isn't enough to win the fight."
What could Clottey even say about his non-performance? Not much other than the obvious.
"He has very good movement. He has great speed," Clottey said. "It was very difficult for me to handle. I didn't feel Manny's power. It's just that his speed was too much for me."
Lenny DeJesus, Clottey's trainer, was frustrated with his man's refusal to throw punches.
"Joshua had the power to knock him out, but was reluctant to punch," he said. "We clearly got beat. I don't think we won a round."
Pacquiao will take a short break from boxing to run for congress in the Philippines, where the elections are in May. Then Pacquiao will obviously come back, maybe in November, according to Arum.
And there is just one fight that the world wants to see.
No disrespect to Shane Mosley, who fights Mayweather on May 1, but Mayweather is the one.
"I want that fight and right now I know I have the support of the fans and I love them for it," Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao-Mayweather was supposed to happen on Saturday night, but negotiations blew up in January over drug testing protocol.
"The people want that fight, they want to see that fight. It's up to him," Pacquiao said of Mayweather. "For me, it's no problem to fight him. I will fight him any time. He should win against Mosley. If not, Mosley and I will fight. [Mayweather's] style is not a difficult style. He needs to handle his business in his next fight."
Arum said he is ready to make the fight as long as the rules of the state commission where the fight would take place are used. In other words, no negotiating over the drug testing again. Whatever the local commission says, goes.
Roach also wants the fight with Mayweather, and why shouldn't he? He has never had Pacquiao duck a challenge, like Mayweather has often been accused of doing.
"It's the fight the world wants to see. Me and Manny want to see it," Roach said. "Floyd, let the commission do their job. You don't run the sport. Get in the ring and fight us."
If the fight ever happens, Arum, of course, picks his guy.
"Manny will break down any defense," he said. "He never gets tired. He throws a million punches. If Mayweather doesn't come out of his shell Manny will pile up the points like he did tonight. When you're in with a buzz saw, it's very difficult to do anything. Manny prevented Clottey from throwing his punches by throwing his own punches, and he throws from so many angles."
Will we ever see those combinations and angles from Pacquiao being attempted against Mayweather?
The world hopes so. Maybe back at Cowboys Stadium, where they might pack the joint with 100,000-plus fans.
Now that would be the greatest two-man show on Earth.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
***
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Round after round, Manny Pacquiao, the greatest fighter in the world, pounded Joshua Clottey like a punching bag.
It permitted plenty of time to reflect on the fighter who has become the greatest show on Earth. In the case of Pacquiao's shutout decision against Clottey to retain his welterweight title in his first defense on Saturday night, it was a one-man show. A virtuoso performance of the highest level.
It also permitted plenty of time to contemplate the possibility of the one fight the world wants to see: Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But first Pacquiao had to take care of Clottey.
No problem.
While Pacquiao landed combinations -- sometimes seven or eight punches in rapid succession -- Clottey did almost nothing.
Yet the boisterous crowd of 50,994 still cheered Pacquiao's every move. They probably would have cheered had he been in the ring shadowboxing in the main event of the first card at Jerry Jones' sparkling $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, a spectacle that even featured a trio of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders singing the Star Spangled Banner.
Pacquiao's transformation has been nothing short of remarkable, and Saturday's fight just added to his growing legend, one which can't conclude until we see him face Mayweather.
Think about it: Pacquiao was a poor kid from the Philippines who came to the United States in 2001 as an obscure former flyweight champion, won a junior featherweight belt and never stopped. He has risen up through the weight classes to win seven world titles in a record seven divisions, knocking out Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto along the way.
He has also become a worldwide phenomenon with a media corps that follows him like it once followed Muhammad Ali. He performs concerts after his fights. And he has become an amazing gate attraction.
He has become the face of boxing.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) was fighting a good contender and former titleholder in Clottey (35-4, 21 KOs), but an opponent who was unknown to the masses. Yet Pacquiao drew a massive crowd.
It was the third-largest indoor attendance in U.S. boxing history, beaten only by the 63,350 who attended the 1979 heavyweight title rematch between Ali and Leon Spinks at the New Orleans Superdome and the 59,995 who attended the 1993 welterweight championship fight between Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez at at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
"It's one of the most incredible stories, not just boxing, just stories of a guy who starts on the streets of Manila in a cardboard shack and 14 years later he puts 51,000 people in this opulent stadium," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "If you wrote it as a movie script nobody would believe you, it is so far-fetched."
He had no problem with Clottey, who made $1.25 million plus an upside that kicks in after 300,000 pay-per-view sales. From the first round, when Pacquiao attacked him with jabs and combinations, to the last round, when he was still firing combinations, he never gave Clottey a chance to breathe. He was particularly effective ripping Clottey to the body.
"It was not an easy fight," Pacquiao said, even though it sure looked like one. "He's a good fighter. I threw a lot of jabs in the beginning to counter his hook and uppercut. I felt his power. He's so strong. I could tell he was looking to land the big shot throughout the fight."
But Clottey, 32, never came close to doing so, making it an easy fight to score. One judge had it 120-108. The other two gave Clottey one round apiece, scoring it 119-109. ESPN.com also had it a 120-108 shutout.
"I felt I was in control after the first round," said Pacquiao, who made a minimum of $12 million plus a share of the pay-per-view profits.
Pacquiao, 31, landed 246 of 1,231 punches (20 percent) while Clottey was limited to landing 108 of 399 punches (27 percent).
"I thought we won every round," said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer. "We pressured him. He had a good defense but good defense isn't enough to win the fight."
What could Clottey even say about his non-performance? Not much other than the obvious.
"He has very good movement. He has great speed," Clottey said. "It was very difficult for me to handle. I didn't feel Manny's power. It's just that his speed was too much for me."
Lenny DeJesus, Clottey's trainer, was frustrated with his man's refusal to throw punches.
"Joshua had the power to knock him out, but was reluctant to punch," he said. "We clearly got beat. I don't think we won a round."
Pacquiao will take a short break from boxing to run for congress in the Philippines, where the elections are in May. Then Pacquiao will obviously come back, maybe in November, according to Arum.
And there is just one fight that the world wants to see.
No disrespect to Shane Mosley, who fights Mayweather on May 1, but Mayweather is the one.
"I want that fight and right now I know I have the support of the fans and I love them for it," Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao-Mayweather was supposed to happen on Saturday night, but negotiations blew up in January over drug testing protocol.
"The people want that fight, they want to see that fight. It's up to him," Pacquiao said of Mayweather. "For me, it's no problem to fight him. I will fight him any time. He should win against Mosley. If not, Mosley and I will fight. [Mayweather's] style is not a difficult style. He needs to handle his business in his next fight."
Arum said he is ready to make the fight as long as the rules of the state commission where the fight would take place are used. In other words, no negotiating over the drug testing again. Whatever the local commission says, goes.
Roach also wants the fight with Mayweather, and why shouldn't he? He has never had Pacquiao duck a challenge, like Mayweather has often been accused of doing.
"It's the fight the world wants to see. Me and Manny want to see it," Roach said. "Floyd, let the commission do their job. You don't run the sport. Get in the ring and fight us."
If the fight ever happens, Arum, of course, picks his guy.
"Manny will break down any defense," he said. "He never gets tired. He throws a million punches. If Mayweather doesn't come out of his shell Manny will pile up the points like he did tonight. When you're in with a buzz saw, it's very difficult to do anything. Manny prevented Clottey from throwing his punches by throwing his own punches, and he throws from so many angles."
Will we ever see those combinations and angles from Pacquiao being attempted against Mayweather?
The world hopes so. Maybe back at Cowboys Stadium, where they might pack the joint with 100,000-plus fans.
Now that would be the greatest two-man show on Earth.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
***
Manny Pacquiao defeats Joshua Clottey to defend WBO welterweight title in Dallas -- Telegraph
By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk
From here, the boxer who has earned world titles in seven weight divisions will concentrate on running for a congressional seat in The Philippines.
This was a shutout victory for Pacquiao in front of the third highest number of fans ever to attend a fight in the United States. It was Pacquiao’s fight from first to last.
Clottey, tough man than he is, simply did not throw enough punches. But he was a constant danger, his uppercuts and left-right combinations catching the champion perilously at times.
The punch statistics give a realistic pointer to the nature of the contest. Pacquiao threw 1231 punches to Clottey’s 399, connecting with 246 (20 per cent), to Clottey’s 108 (23 per cent). The statistic which most surprises, however, was that Pacquiao enjoyed only a meagre three per cent success rate with the 549 jabs he threw.
You cannot win a fight, if you do not fight. If that seems over-critical of Clottey, it is merely that when he did attack, on far too few occasions, he found success.
There was the sense that a superstar had filled this stadium, and that the challenger was just a side act. But Clottey insisted he had “tried his best, but had great respect for Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao won 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 on the judges’ cards. Judges Levi Martinez and Nelson Vasquez both awarded the third round to the Ghanaian.
That was the only round I gave Clottey, by dint of seven heavy shots to Pacquiao’s punches which fell largely on Clottey’s arms. Duane Ford, the third judge, gave all 12 rounds to the Filipino fighter.
The pattern for the fight was established early in the first round. Clottey, behind a tight peek-a-boo defence, attempted to walk Pacquiao down, but he danced around the African challenger and threw combinations, alternating between the head and the body. Many of the head shots bounced off Clottey’s arms.
In the third, Clottey, most likely around 10-15 lbs heavier than Pacquiao when he stepped into the ring, enjoyed some success with several, repeated straight right hands and also caught the champion flush with a solid left uppercut.
Pacquiao dominated the next eight rounds, not with punishing shots, but with a far greater volume of work.
As the fight neared the final quarter, it appeared that Clottey was hellbent on maintaining his record of never having been stopped, although that pattern was smudged in the penultimate round, Clottey finding success with the uppercut.
Pacquiao said: “It was not an easy fight, but I can’t believe it. I intended to start with a lot of jabs. I know he was waiting to counter punch me.”
Clottey said: “He has speed, but at the same time, I lost the fight. He is fast, he tried to open me, but I was taking my time, But I lost this fight…”
The Mayweather clan will have been watching Pacquaio’s latest testament to prize-fighting’s wealthy and complex tapestry. Roll on Mayweather-Mosley. Pacquiao must fight the winner.
“I want that fight, the people want to see it,” said Pacquiao. “But it is up to him. I am ready to fight him any time. He should win against Mosley. If he doesn’t beat Mosley I will fight him. I really enjoyed fighting in this stadium and I would like to thank Jerry Jones. I would like to fight here again.”
Roach added: “Come on Floyd. The world wants to see this fight. Come on Floyd, come and fight us…his style is not difficult, easy to study. But he needs to attend to business in his next fight (against Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas).”
Roach also admitted he was concerned that his charge took too many punches, the Hollywood trainer insisting that he would like to see Pacquiao have two more fights, no more, one against Mayweather, before he retires.
“He doesn’t need to go on. He has so many other things he can do outside the ring - he has an acting career, a singing career, he wants to go into politics…if he really wanted to he is in great shape to go on for three more years, but I don’t want to see him fight that long. There really is no need.”
Source: telegraph.co.uk
From here, the boxer who has earned world titles in seven weight divisions will concentrate on running for a congressional seat in The Philippines.
This was a shutout victory for Pacquiao in front of the third highest number of fans ever to attend a fight in the United States. It was Pacquiao’s fight from first to last.
Clottey, tough man than he is, simply did not throw enough punches. But he was a constant danger, his uppercuts and left-right combinations catching the champion perilously at times.
The punch statistics give a realistic pointer to the nature of the contest. Pacquiao threw 1231 punches to Clottey’s 399, connecting with 246 (20 per cent), to Clottey’s 108 (23 per cent). The statistic which most surprises, however, was that Pacquiao enjoyed only a meagre three per cent success rate with the 549 jabs he threw.
You cannot win a fight, if you do not fight. If that seems over-critical of Clottey, it is merely that when he did attack, on far too few occasions, he found success.
There was the sense that a superstar had filled this stadium, and that the challenger was just a side act. But Clottey insisted he had “tried his best, but had great respect for Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao won 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 on the judges’ cards. Judges Levi Martinez and Nelson Vasquez both awarded the third round to the Ghanaian.
That was the only round I gave Clottey, by dint of seven heavy shots to Pacquiao’s punches which fell largely on Clottey’s arms. Duane Ford, the third judge, gave all 12 rounds to the Filipino fighter.
The pattern for the fight was established early in the first round. Clottey, behind a tight peek-a-boo defence, attempted to walk Pacquiao down, but he danced around the African challenger and threw combinations, alternating between the head and the body. Many of the head shots bounced off Clottey’s arms.
In the third, Clottey, most likely around 10-15 lbs heavier than Pacquiao when he stepped into the ring, enjoyed some success with several, repeated straight right hands and also caught the champion flush with a solid left uppercut.
Pacquiao dominated the next eight rounds, not with punishing shots, but with a far greater volume of work.
As the fight neared the final quarter, it appeared that Clottey was hellbent on maintaining his record of never having been stopped, although that pattern was smudged in the penultimate round, Clottey finding success with the uppercut.
Pacquiao said: “It was not an easy fight, but I can’t believe it. I intended to start with a lot of jabs. I know he was waiting to counter punch me.”
Clottey said: “He has speed, but at the same time, I lost the fight. He is fast, he tried to open me, but I was taking my time, But I lost this fight…”
The Mayweather clan will have been watching Pacquaio’s latest testament to prize-fighting’s wealthy and complex tapestry. Roll on Mayweather-Mosley. Pacquiao must fight the winner.
“I want that fight, the people want to see it,” said Pacquiao. “But it is up to him. I am ready to fight him any time. He should win against Mosley. If he doesn’t beat Mosley I will fight him. I really enjoyed fighting in this stadium and I would like to thank Jerry Jones. I would like to fight here again.”
Roach added: “Come on Floyd. The world wants to see this fight. Come on Floyd, come and fight us…his style is not difficult, easy to study. But he needs to attend to business in his next fight (against Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas).”
Roach also admitted he was concerned that his charge took too many punches, the Hollywood trainer insisting that he would like to see Pacquiao have two more fights, no more, one against Mayweather, before he retires.
“He doesn’t need to go on. He has so many other things he can do outside the ring - he has an acting career, a singing career, he wants to go into politics…if he really wanted to he is in great shape to go on for three more years, but I don’t want to see him fight that long. There really is no need.”
Source: telegraph.co.uk
Pacman Outclasses Clottey -- The Sweet Science
By George Kimball, The Sweet Science
ARLINGTON, Texas --- Manny Pacquiao defended his WBO welterweight title with a runaway unanimous decision at sold-out Cowboys Stadium, but Joshua Clottey could take some solace in becoming the world’s best boxer’s first opponent in two years to hear the final bell, as well as the only Pacquiao foe weighing more than 130 pounds to go the distance.
Although he didn’t get much respect on the scorecards of the ringside judges, Clottey gained the admiration of the crowd as well as his opponent.
Pacquiao ran his record to 51-3-2 with the win. Asked afterward about a possible Paquiao meeting with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach replied, “It’s what the whole world wants to see.
“Just let the commission do its job,” said Roach of the drug-testing issue. “Just get in the ring and fight.”
Alfonso Gomez, who rose to prominence on ‘The Contender’ to become the boxer who retired that late Arturo Gatti, may have done the same favor for former world champion Jose Luis Castillo. After five rounds of a bout in which he had not been competitive, Castillo quit on his stool as his corner informed referee Kenny Bayless that he could not continue. Gomez is now 22-4-2, Castillo 60-10-1.
According to CompuBox stats, Gomez landed 92 punches to Castillo’s 47. The crowd of 50,994 was so worked up by Gomez-Castillo that they spend most of the fight between Humberto Soto and David Diaz attempting, with varying degrees of success, to perform The Wave.
Fighting with his back to the ropes, Soto caught Diaz with a solid left followed by a right to put him down in the first round, and then with ten seconds left in the fight, drove him to the canvas again like a man playing Whack-a-Mole. The Mexican rode those two knockdowns to a unanimous decision over former champion Diaz of Chicago in their bout for the vacant WBC title.
Both David Sutherland and Hubert Minn returned 117-109 scores for Soto, while Gale Van Hoy had it somewhat closer at 115-111. Soto in picking up a championship at his third different weight, is now 51-7-2. Diaz is now 35-3-1.
Although John Duddy had promised “fireworks” in his bout against Michael Medina, their bout quickly transformed itself into a technical battle in which Duddy was more boxer than brawler. After battling Medina on fairly even terms over the first half of the bout, Duddy began to assert himself over the next four, during which he repeatedly tattooed Medina. Although at this point the Mexican seemed to have had most of the fight beaten out of him, Duddy unaccountably took the final stanza off, apparently convinced that he could coast to victory. Only over the final few seconds, when Medina trapped Duddy in his own corner, did the two go toe-to-toe, and the Irishman very nearly got the worst of that when he was clocked by a roundhouse right literally seconds before the bell.
Duddy won by identical 95-93 scores on the cards of judges Mike Mitchell and Charles Phillips. (The SweetScience card favored Duddy by the same margin.) Arturo Velasquez' 96-93 score in Medina’s favor was particularly bewildering, since referee Robert Chapa had taken a point from the Mexican in the eighth round.
In other words, not only did Velasquez score only three rounds for Duddy (as opposed to the six of both of his colleagues), but in only one of those round was his score in accord with both Mitchell’s and Phillips’.
Duddy, in any case, improved his pro log to 29-1 with the victory, his third straight since last year’s upset loss to Billy Lyell. Medina is now 22-2-2.
Nineteen year-old Dallas 122-pounder Roberto Marroquin, a four-time US amateur champion and as fine a prospect as we’ve seen at this weight in nearly three decades, ran his professional mark to 13-0 and registered his 10th career stoppage when he dispatched another hometowner, Samuel Sanchez (4-2-1), at 1:36 of the second.
After knocking Sanchez down in the first round Marroquin had celebrated by kissing his right glove before the opponent had even landed. A hard chopping right in the second sent him barreling over backward. When Sanchez tried to get up only fall back over again, referee Kenny Bayless took him into protective custody, ruling the TKO.
Salvador Sanchez Jr., the nephew, and namesake -- and doppelganger -- of the late Mexican featherweight legend, improved to 19-3-2 with a sixth-round knockout of Texan Jaime Villa. Down once in the fifth and twice more in the sixth, Villa (8-8-2) failed to beat referee Neal Young’s ten-count after the last trip to the canvas and was counted out at 1:09 of the round.
Two earlier bouts involved a pair of Pacquiao’s Filipino countrymen. Junior bantamweight Eden Sonsona (19-5) scored an 8th-round kayo of former world title challenger Mauricio Pastrana (35-13-2). Floored by a straight left, Pastrana was counted out by Young at 1:33 of the round.
Featherweight Michael Farenas’ bout against San Antonio’s Joe Morales came to a premature conclusion when Morales was cut by a clash of heads in the second round, and the result declared no contest. Farenas remains 26-2-3, Morales 20-13.
In other action, California junior middle Rodrigo Garcia (6-0) scored a second-round TKO over Calvin Pitts (5-13-1) of Grand Prairie, Tex., while featherweights Isaac Hidalgo and Arthur Trevino battled to a majority draw in their four-round prelim. Although one judge, Mitchell, scored it a 40-36 shutout for Hidalgo, his card was overruled by the 38-38 tallies returned by Don Griffin and Valasquez. Hidalgo is now 6-5-2, Trevino 5-3-3.
* * *
THE EVENT
COWBOYS STADIUM
ARLINGTON, TEXAS
MARCH 13, 2010
WELTERWEIGHTS: Manny Pacquiao, 145 3/4, General Santos City, Philippines dec. Joshua Clottey, 147, Accra, Ghana (12) (Retains WBO title)
Alfonso Gomez, 145, Guadalajara, Mexico TKO’d Jose Luis Castillo, 144, Mexicali, Mexico (5)
LIGHTWEIGHTS: Umberto Solis, 134 1/4, Los Mochis, Mexico dec. David Diaz, 134, Chicago, Ill. (12) (Wins vacant WBC title)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS: John Duddy, 160, Derry, Northern Ireland dec. Michael Medina, 155 1/2, Monterrey, Mexico (10)
JUNIOR MIDDLES: Rodrigo Garcia, 149 3/4, Santa Ana, Calif. TKO’d Calvin Pitts, 149, Prairie View, Tex. (2)
FEATHERWEIGHTS: Salvador Sanchez, Jr., 125 3/4, Tianguistenco, Mexico KO’d Jaime Villa, 127, Midland, Tex. (6)
Arthur Trevino, 125 , Ft. Worth, Tex drew with Isaac Hidalgo, 125, Tucson, Ariz (4)
Michael Farenas, 127 1/4, Gubat, Philippines drew with Joe Morales, 126, San Antonio, Tex. (2)
JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS: Robert Morroquin, 122, Dallas,Tex. TKO’d Samuel Sanchez, 122, Dallas (2)
Eden Sonsona, 119 3/4, General Santos City, Philippines KO’d Mauricio Pastrana, 119 1/2, Monteria, Colombia (8)
Source: thesweetscience.com
ARLINGTON, Texas --- Manny Pacquiao defended his WBO welterweight title with a runaway unanimous decision at sold-out Cowboys Stadium, but Joshua Clottey could take some solace in becoming the world’s best boxer’s first opponent in two years to hear the final bell, as well as the only Pacquiao foe weighing more than 130 pounds to go the distance.
Although he didn’t get much respect on the scorecards of the ringside judges, Clottey gained the admiration of the crowd as well as his opponent.
Pacquiao ran his record to 51-3-2 with the win. Asked afterward about a possible Paquiao meeting with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach replied, “It’s what the whole world wants to see.
“Just let the commission do its job,” said Roach of the drug-testing issue. “Just get in the ring and fight.”
Alfonso Gomez, who rose to prominence on ‘The Contender’ to become the boxer who retired that late Arturo Gatti, may have done the same favor for former world champion Jose Luis Castillo. After five rounds of a bout in which he had not been competitive, Castillo quit on his stool as his corner informed referee Kenny Bayless that he could not continue. Gomez is now 22-4-2, Castillo 60-10-1.
According to CompuBox stats, Gomez landed 92 punches to Castillo’s 47. The crowd of 50,994 was so worked up by Gomez-Castillo that they spend most of the fight between Humberto Soto and David Diaz attempting, with varying degrees of success, to perform The Wave.
Fighting with his back to the ropes, Soto caught Diaz with a solid left followed by a right to put him down in the first round, and then with ten seconds left in the fight, drove him to the canvas again like a man playing Whack-a-Mole. The Mexican rode those two knockdowns to a unanimous decision over former champion Diaz of Chicago in their bout for the vacant WBC title.
Both David Sutherland and Hubert Minn returned 117-109 scores for Soto, while Gale Van Hoy had it somewhat closer at 115-111. Soto in picking up a championship at his third different weight, is now 51-7-2. Diaz is now 35-3-1.
Although John Duddy had promised “fireworks” in his bout against Michael Medina, their bout quickly transformed itself into a technical battle in which Duddy was more boxer than brawler. After battling Medina on fairly even terms over the first half of the bout, Duddy began to assert himself over the next four, during which he repeatedly tattooed Medina. Although at this point the Mexican seemed to have had most of the fight beaten out of him, Duddy unaccountably took the final stanza off, apparently convinced that he could coast to victory. Only over the final few seconds, when Medina trapped Duddy in his own corner, did the two go toe-to-toe, and the Irishman very nearly got the worst of that when he was clocked by a roundhouse right literally seconds before the bell.
Duddy won by identical 95-93 scores on the cards of judges Mike Mitchell and Charles Phillips. (The SweetScience card favored Duddy by the same margin.) Arturo Velasquez' 96-93 score in Medina’s favor was particularly bewildering, since referee Robert Chapa had taken a point from the Mexican in the eighth round.
In other words, not only did Velasquez score only three rounds for Duddy (as opposed to the six of both of his colleagues), but in only one of those round was his score in accord with both Mitchell’s and Phillips’.
Duddy, in any case, improved his pro log to 29-1 with the victory, his third straight since last year’s upset loss to Billy Lyell. Medina is now 22-2-2.
Nineteen year-old Dallas 122-pounder Roberto Marroquin, a four-time US amateur champion and as fine a prospect as we’ve seen at this weight in nearly three decades, ran his professional mark to 13-0 and registered his 10th career stoppage when he dispatched another hometowner, Samuel Sanchez (4-2-1), at 1:36 of the second.
After knocking Sanchez down in the first round Marroquin had celebrated by kissing his right glove before the opponent had even landed. A hard chopping right in the second sent him barreling over backward. When Sanchez tried to get up only fall back over again, referee Kenny Bayless took him into protective custody, ruling the TKO.
Salvador Sanchez Jr., the nephew, and namesake -- and doppelganger -- of the late Mexican featherweight legend, improved to 19-3-2 with a sixth-round knockout of Texan Jaime Villa. Down once in the fifth and twice more in the sixth, Villa (8-8-2) failed to beat referee Neal Young’s ten-count after the last trip to the canvas and was counted out at 1:09 of the round.
Two earlier bouts involved a pair of Pacquiao’s Filipino countrymen. Junior bantamweight Eden Sonsona (19-5) scored an 8th-round kayo of former world title challenger Mauricio Pastrana (35-13-2). Floored by a straight left, Pastrana was counted out by Young at 1:33 of the round.
Featherweight Michael Farenas’ bout against San Antonio’s Joe Morales came to a premature conclusion when Morales was cut by a clash of heads in the second round, and the result declared no contest. Farenas remains 26-2-3, Morales 20-13.
In other action, California junior middle Rodrigo Garcia (6-0) scored a second-round TKO over Calvin Pitts (5-13-1) of Grand Prairie, Tex., while featherweights Isaac Hidalgo and Arthur Trevino battled to a majority draw in their four-round prelim. Although one judge, Mitchell, scored it a 40-36 shutout for Hidalgo, his card was overruled by the 38-38 tallies returned by Don Griffin and Valasquez. Hidalgo is now 6-5-2, Trevino 5-3-3.
* * *
THE EVENT
COWBOYS STADIUM
ARLINGTON, TEXAS
MARCH 13, 2010
WELTERWEIGHTS: Manny Pacquiao, 145 3/4, General Santos City, Philippines dec. Joshua Clottey, 147, Accra, Ghana (12) (Retains WBO title)
Alfonso Gomez, 145, Guadalajara, Mexico TKO’d Jose Luis Castillo, 144, Mexicali, Mexico (5)
LIGHTWEIGHTS: Umberto Solis, 134 1/4, Los Mochis, Mexico dec. David Diaz, 134, Chicago, Ill. (12) (Wins vacant WBC title)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS: John Duddy, 160, Derry, Northern Ireland dec. Michael Medina, 155 1/2, Monterrey, Mexico (10)
JUNIOR MIDDLES: Rodrigo Garcia, 149 3/4, Santa Ana, Calif. TKO’d Calvin Pitts, 149, Prairie View, Tex. (2)
FEATHERWEIGHTS: Salvador Sanchez, Jr., 125 3/4, Tianguistenco, Mexico KO’d Jaime Villa, 127, Midland, Tex. (6)
Arthur Trevino, 125 , Ft. Worth, Tex drew with Isaac Hidalgo, 125, Tucson, Ariz (4)
Michael Farenas, 127 1/4, Gubat, Philippines drew with Joe Morales, 126, San Antonio, Tex. (2)
JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS: Robert Morroquin, 122, Dallas,Tex. TKO’d Samuel Sanchez, 122, Dallas (2)
Eden Sonsona, 119 3/4, General Santos City, Philippines KO’d Mauricio Pastrana, 119 1/2, Monteria, Colombia (8)
Source: thesweetscience.com
Pacquiao dominates Clottey to retain welterweight crown -- Dallas Morning News
By BARRY HORN, The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON – Manny Pacquiao was the puncher, Joshua Clottey the punching bag.
Pacquiao had little trouble landing punches at will on center stage in a packed Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night as Clottey appeared content to make it back to his stool round after round.
Pacquiao, considered the best fighter in the world at any weight, won an easy unanimous decision to retain his WBO welterweight crown. It was almost a shutout in the eyes of three ringside judges. Clottey won only one round on two of the three judges' scorecards. He won none, according to judge Duane Ford.
A crowd announced at 50,994 at the stadium's boxing debut watched Pacquiao's first defense of the 147-pound title he won in November from Miguel Cotto. A champion in seven weight divisions during his career, Pacquiao, the pride of the Philippines, improved his record to 51-3-2 with 32 knockouts. Clottey, who is from Ghana, dropped to 35-4.
"I have to tell you this is the first time I have lost a fight," said Clottey, who believes he fought well enough to have won his previous losses.
Clottey said Pacquiao was simply "too fast" for him to have tried to trade punches.
It was a historic night for boxing in Texas and the United States. It featured Pacquiao, the biggest star in the sport, fighting before an enthusiastic throng with Cowboys cheerleaders flitting in and out of view. To make sure no one could forget whose house it was, three Cowboys cheerleaders sang the national anthem.
As impressive as it was, the crowd wasn't close to the record for boxing paid attendance in Texas. The Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez WBC welterweight title bout in 1993 sported a paid attendance of 58,891 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Pacquiao came out the aggressor from the opening bell as Clottey was contentedly took punches with his arms up protecting his face. Little changed as the fight continued.
A fight almost broke out in the third round as Pacquiao and Clottey began exchanging punches. But Clottey backed down as Pacquiao was relentless in going to Clottey's body in an attempt to get him to lower his arms.
Pacquiao continued as the aggressor, landing combinations at will, in the fourth round as Clottey appeared content to have last another three minutes.
Clottey finally backed Pacquiao into ropes early in the sixth round, but it was only momentary as it seemed to invigorate Pacquiao, who continued to dominate with jabs and combinations.
But despite being content to take punches, Clottey never appeared hurt. It was as if he was waiting for Pacquiao to tire of punching. He might as well have been waiting for Godot.
Clottey began showing life in the 10th round, but it was too little, too late.
bhorn@dallasnews.com
Source: dallasnews.com
ARLINGTON – Manny Pacquiao was the puncher, Joshua Clottey the punching bag.
Pacquiao had little trouble landing punches at will on center stage in a packed Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night as Clottey appeared content to make it back to his stool round after round.
Pacquiao, considered the best fighter in the world at any weight, won an easy unanimous decision to retain his WBO welterweight crown. It was almost a shutout in the eyes of three ringside judges. Clottey won only one round on two of the three judges' scorecards. He won none, according to judge Duane Ford.
A crowd announced at 50,994 at the stadium's boxing debut watched Pacquiao's first defense of the 147-pound title he won in November from Miguel Cotto. A champion in seven weight divisions during his career, Pacquiao, the pride of the Philippines, improved his record to 51-3-2 with 32 knockouts. Clottey, who is from Ghana, dropped to 35-4.
"I have to tell you this is the first time I have lost a fight," said Clottey, who believes he fought well enough to have won his previous losses.
Clottey said Pacquiao was simply "too fast" for him to have tried to trade punches.
It was a historic night for boxing in Texas and the United States. It featured Pacquiao, the biggest star in the sport, fighting before an enthusiastic throng with Cowboys cheerleaders flitting in and out of view. To make sure no one could forget whose house it was, three Cowboys cheerleaders sang the national anthem.
As impressive as it was, the crowd wasn't close to the record for boxing paid attendance in Texas. The Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez WBC welterweight title bout in 1993 sported a paid attendance of 58,891 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Pacquiao came out the aggressor from the opening bell as Clottey was contentedly took punches with his arms up protecting his face. Little changed as the fight continued.
A fight almost broke out in the third round as Pacquiao and Clottey began exchanging punches. But Clottey backed down as Pacquiao was relentless in going to Clottey's body in an attempt to get him to lower his arms.
Pacquiao continued as the aggressor, landing combinations at will, in the fourth round as Clottey appeared content to have last another three minutes.
Clottey finally backed Pacquiao into ropes early in the sixth round, but it was only momentary as it seemed to invigorate Pacquiao, who continued to dominate with jabs and combinations.
But despite being content to take punches, Clottey never appeared hurt. It was as if he was waiting for Pacquiao to tire of punching. He might as well have been waiting for Godot.
Clottey began showing life in the 10th round, but it was too little, too late.
bhorn@dallasnews.com
Source: dallasnews.com
Pacquiao decisively dispatches Clottey, retains title -- CNN
CNN.com
(CNN) -- Manny Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey decisively Saturday night to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight title.
The Filipino fighter, known affectionately as "Pacman" by his fans and in his country, won by unanimous decision. Two judges scored the fight 119-109 for Pacquiao, while a third scored it 120-108, according to the WBO.
Pacquiao has now won 12 straight bouts since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005.
The 12-round decision was a longer fight than Pacquiao predicted before the match. Following his weigh-in, Pacquiao sent a message to his adoring fans that he would be targeting a quick knockout in the fight against Ghana's Clottey.
"I am not going to promise you a knockout, but I will do my best," Pacquiao told the crowd who had gathered to watch the weigh-in Friday night in the Cowboys Stadium.
Saturday's match was fought at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in front of more than 40,000 people. The stadium is the home of the Dallas Cowboys U.S. football team.
Pacquiao, who began his career as a 112 pound flyweight, has won world titles at six different weights and boasts a 50-3-2 record with 28 knockouts.
The fight attracted worldwide attention, particularly back in the Philippines where Pacquiao is a national hero.
Pacquiao was originally slated to be taking on American Floyd Mayweather Jr, in what was billed as the richest fight in boxing history, but a row over dope testing led to negotiations be called off.
The Clottey fight was arranged in its place, but many expect Pacquiao to take on the unbeaten Mayweather later in the year.
Source: edition.cnn.com
(CNN) -- Manny Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey decisively Saturday night to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight title.
The Filipino fighter, known affectionately as "Pacman" by his fans and in his country, won by unanimous decision. Two judges scored the fight 119-109 for Pacquiao, while a third scored it 120-108, according to the WBO.
Pacquiao has now won 12 straight bouts since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005.
The 12-round decision was a longer fight than Pacquiao predicted before the match. Following his weigh-in, Pacquiao sent a message to his adoring fans that he would be targeting a quick knockout in the fight against Ghana's Clottey.
"I am not going to promise you a knockout, but I will do my best," Pacquiao told the crowd who had gathered to watch the weigh-in Friday night in the Cowboys Stadium.
Saturday's match was fought at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in front of more than 40,000 people. The stadium is the home of the Dallas Cowboys U.S. football team.
Pacquiao, who began his career as a 112 pound flyweight, has won world titles at six different weights and boasts a 50-3-2 record with 28 knockouts.
The fight attracted worldwide attention, particularly back in the Philippines where Pacquiao is a national hero.
Pacquiao was originally slated to be taking on American Floyd Mayweather Jr, in what was billed as the richest fight in boxing history, but a row over dope testing led to negotiations be called off.
The Clottey fight was arranged in its place, but many expect Pacquiao to take on the unbeaten Mayweather later in the year.
Source: edition.cnn.com
Relentless From Start, Pacquiao Retains Title -- New York Times
By GREG BISHOP, New York Times
ARLINGTON, Tex. — Another fight, another overwhelmed opponent, another convincing punishment delivered by Manny Pacquiao.
On Saturday night in Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey by unanimous decision to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight championship. He pummeled Clottey’s ribs and midsection. He dissected and destructed his latest overmatched opponent.
Now, the fight that boxing fans demand looms, larger than ever. Pacquiao continues to dismiss all challengers, except Floyd Mayweather Jr., the fighter who presents perhaps his biggest challenge. Here, Pacquiao essentially won his semifinal, leaving Mayweather, who fights Shane Mosley on May 1, to win his end before negotiations between the sport’s two best boxers can resume.
For the most part, Clottey fought defensively and conservatively, as if unable to summon an attack. In the seventh round, Clottey managed to bruise Pacquiao under his right eye, but Pacquiao remained on the offensive, stalking Clottey, landing body shots, body shots and more body shots.
The question lingered. When would Clottey let his hands go and unleash his superior strength and size? When would he, you know, fight?
Clottey opened up occasionally in the later rounds, but by then, it was too late. By then, Pacquiao had dispatched another challenger. By then, cries for Mayweather-Pacquiao began anew.
The fight began with a surreal premise: an African and a Filipino fighting in Texas, the birthplace of Top Rank Boxing and, fittingly, the Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones.
The fighters entered the ring to deafening noise and an electric atmosphere. Clottey danced. Pacquiao stalked into his corner, bowed, prayed, then climbed the ropes, smiling at the masses. He had spent the previous two hours watching N.B.A. basketball on television.
This being football country, the crowd swelled with N.F.L. players, ex-players, coaches, ex-coaches, and even owners. It included Jimmy Johnson, the retired coach, and Woody Johnson, the Jets’ owner, along with a bevy of former Cowboys: Deion Sanders, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Barry Switzer.
The fight started slowly, the fighters feeling each other out. Early on, it was Clottey, the bigger, stronger fighter, who landed the bigger shots. But it was Pacquiao, the skilled technician, who appeared to win most of the early rounds, as Clottey treated each punch as precious, rarely to be thrown.
Clottey managed to slow the pace through the middle rounds, but Pacquiao continued to attack, landing combinations. Through six rounds, Pacquiao appeared ahead, with the outcome still very much in doubt.
Just before noon Saturday, Pacquiao and staff assembled for Mass at the exhibition center adjacent to their hotel. They sang hymns and said prayers and received communion, while fans snapped pictures with their cell phones. Pacquiao worshipped God, while hundreds worshipped him, a surreal yet peaceful moment to conclude a kumbaya-style camp.
The last two months, from training through fight week, unfolded in atypical serenity for Team Pacquiao. The fighter flew some 130 members of his entourage here on a private jet, then spent most nights inside his suite, playing poker and belting his favorite karaoke tunes.
Even Michael Koncz and Alex Ariza, the Pacquiao employees who engaged in a fistfight last training camp, teamed up so Koncz could win a staff weight-loss challenge worth $3,000.
“I’m starting to worry,” Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, said half joking. “I’m going to start something, because this camp has gone too smoothly.”
Normally, Pacquiao thrives amid dysfunction. As the circus around him swelled, he won 11 straight fights, won seven titles in a record seven weight divisions and won the award for fighter of the decade. Roach earned his fourth trainer of the year award this year, another mark reached for the punishing pair.
Pacquiao appeared more entranced by Cowboys Stadium than by his opponent this week. This gleaming, palatial stadium with a scoreboard the size of a small town helped replace interest lost when Pacquiao’s negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell apart over blood testing.
Boxing wanted to expand its fan base. Jerry Jones wanted to show off his latest toy, its price tag in excess of $1 billion. The fight featured three stars — Pacquiao, Jones and the one at midfield, underneath the ring.
Even with Joshua Clottey, a competent if relatively unknown welterweight, opposing Pacquiao, the bout still sold more than 50,000 tickets. When Clottey’s manager called his fighter with Pacquiao’s proposal, Clottey first asked if he was kidding.
Clottey entered this fight with 35 victories, and each of his three losses came against world champions, in close and sometimes controversial decisions. In those 38 fights, no boxer knocked Clottey down. No one even cut him.
“He isn’t going to be awed by the big stage,” the promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing predicted.
Roach felt different. The more tape he watched of Clottey, the more convinced he became: Clottey fought the same way every fight, predictable, with little movement, straight ahead. Roach believed Pacquiao would overwhelm Clottey with his speed, same as Pacquiao did to Miguel Cotto in his last fight.
Pacquiao would become the first boxer to knock Clottey onto the canvas, Roach insisted. Clottey replied, Only with voodoo, or black magic.
Other than that, and Roach’s ongoing but minor feud with Lenny DeJesus, a former Roach employee and Clottey’s replacement trainer here, fight week felt more like a peace summit than a boxing bout. Instead of trash talk, they traded compliments. Even at the weigh-in, Pacquiao wore a smile and, strangely, socks.
Source: nytimes.com
ARLINGTON, Tex. — Another fight, another overwhelmed opponent, another convincing punishment delivered by Manny Pacquiao.
On Saturday night in Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey by unanimous decision to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight championship. He pummeled Clottey’s ribs and midsection. He dissected and destructed his latest overmatched opponent.
Now, the fight that boxing fans demand looms, larger than ever. Pacquiao continues to dismiss all challengers, except Floyd Mayweather Jr., the fighter who presents perhaps his biggest challenge. Here, Pacquiao essentially won his semifinal, leaving Mayweather, who fights Shane Mosley on May 1, to win his end before negotiations between the sport’s two best boxers can resume.
For the most part, Clottey fought defensively and conservatively, as if unable to summon an attack. In the seventh round, Clottey managed to bruise Pacquiao under his right eye, but Pacquiao remained on the offensive, stalking Clottey, landing body shots, body shots and more body shots.
The question lingered. When would Clottey let his hands go and unleash his superior strength and size? When would he, you know, fight?
Clottey opened up occasionally in the later rounds, but by then, it was too late. By then, Pacquiao had dispatched another challenger. By then, cries for Mayweather-Pacquiao began anew.
The fight began with a surreal premise: an African and a Filipino fighting in Texas, the birthplace of Top Rank Boxing and, fittingly, the Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones.
The fighters entered the ring to deafening noise and an electric atmosphere. Clottey danced. Pacquiao stalked into his corner, bowed, prayed, then climbed the ropes, smiling at the masses. He had spent the previous two hours watching N.B.A. basketball on television.
This being football country, the crowd swelled with N.F.L. players, ex-players, coaches, ex-coaches, and even owners. It included Jimmy Johnson, the retired coach, and Woody Johnson, the Jets’ owner, along with a bevy of former Cowboys: Deion Sanders, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Barry Switzer.
The fight started slowly, the fighters feeling each other out. Early on, it was Clottey, the bigger, stronger fighter, who landed the bigger shots. But it was Pacquiao, the skilled technician, who appeared to win most of the early rounds, as Clottey treated each punch as precious, rarely to be thrown.
Clottey managed to slow the pace through the middle rounds, but Pacquiao continued to attack, landing combinations. Through six rounds, Pacquiao appeared ahead, with the outcome still very much in doubt.
Just before noon Saturday, Pacquiao and staff assembled for Mass at the exhibition center adjacent to their hotel. They sang hymns and said prayers and received communion, while fans snapped pictures with their cell phones. Pacquiao worshipped God, while hundreds worshipped him, a surreal yet peaceful moment to conclude a kumbaya-style camp.
The last two months, from training through fight week, unfolded in atypical serenity for Team Pacquiao. The fighter flew some 130 members of his entourage here on a private jet, then spent most nights inside his suite, playing poker and belting his favorite karaoke tunes.
Even Michael Koncz and Alex Ariza, the Pacquiao employees who engaged in a fistfight last training camp, teamed up so Koncz could win a staff weight-loss challenge worth $3,000.
“I’m starting to worry,” Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, said half joking. “I’m going to start something, because this camp has gone too smoothly.”
Normally, Pacquiao thrives amid dysfunction. As the circus around him swelled, he won 11 straight fights, won seven titles in a record seven weight divisions and won the award for fighter of the decade. Roach earned his fourth trainer of the year award this year, another mark reached for the punishing pair.
Pacquiao appeared more entranced by Cowboys Stadium than by his opponent this week. This gleaming, palatial stadium with a scoreboard the size of a small town helped replace interest lost when Pacquiao’s negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell apart over blood testing.
Boxing wanted to expand its fan base. Jerry Jones wanted to show off his latest toy, its price tag in excess of $1 billion. The fight featured three stars — Pacquiao, Jones and the one at midfield, underneath the ring.
Even with Joshua Clottey, a competent if relatively unknown welterweight, opposing Pacquiao, the bout still sold more than 50,000 tickets. When Clottey’s manager called his fighter with Pacquiao’s proposal, Clottey first asked if he was kidding.
Clottey entered this fight with 35 victories, and each of his three losses came against world champions, in close and sometimes controversial decisions. In those 38 fights, no boxer knocked Clottey down. No one even cut him.
“He isn’t going to be awed by the big stage,” the promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing predicted.
Roach felt different. The more tape he watched of Clottey, the more convinced he became: Clottey fought the same way every fight, predictable, with little movement, straight ahead. Roach believed Pacquiao would overwhelm Clottey with his speed, same as Pacquiao did to Miguel Cotto in his last fight.
Pacquiao would become the first boxer to knock Clottey onto the canvas, Roach insisted. Clottey replied, Only with voodoo, or black magic.
Other than that, and Roach’s ongoing but minor feud with Lenny DeJesus, a former Roach employee and Clottey’s replacement trainer here, fight week felt more like a peace summit than a boxing bout. Instead of trash talk, they traded compliments. Even at the weigh-in, Pacquiao wore a smile and, strangely, socks.
Source: nytimes.com
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